Six Feet Over

Fiction, director: Karim Bensalah, France, 96 min., 2023, Fr./Arab. with En. ST

Followed by a Film Talk with Karim Bensalah.

Whenever the opportunity arises, Sofiane (Hamza Meziani) presents himself as a cosmopolitan, as a man of the world. In reality, however, he skillfully sidesteps answering questions about his origins: he is the son of a former Algerian embassy clerk, who is studying in Lyon. When his visa is suddenly revoked,“Sof” finds himself under the threat of expulsion. To be able to continue living in France, he agrees to work for the Muslim funeral home of his father’s cousin. This decision forces him to slowly acknowledge his Algerian roots and to reconfigure his identity and the relationships around him. Six Feet Over is a Coming of Age Story set against the backdrop of Islamic burial rituals, offering a loving and often poetic glimpse into the work of muslim undertakers. It subtly confronts the fast-paced life of a young adult filled with hasty decisions and impulsive actions against the slow, deliberate rituals of traditional funeral ceremonies in Islam. Karim Bensalah’s film won the Silver Yusr for Best Screenplay at the Red Sea International Film Festival in 2023.