Tea in the Harem
Le Thé au harem d'Archimède
Mehdi Charef
Madjid and Pat have been friends since when they were kids. Held together by an unbreakable bond, they live in the Cité des Fleurs housing project. Their days consist of long hours at the counter of their local Maguy's bistrot, strolls around the neighbourhood, jaunts to Paris and schemes of all kinds...
With : Kader Boukhanef, Rémi Martin, Laure Duthilleul, Saïda Bekkouche, Nicole Hiss
Screenplay : Mehdi Charef, d'après son roman "Le Thé au Harem d'Archi Ahmed"
Image : Dominique Chapuis
Editing : Kénout Peltier
Screenplay : Mehdi Charef, d'après son roman "Le Thé au Harem d'Archi Ahmed"
Image : Dominique Chapuis
Editing : Kénout Peltier
Production : K.G. Production
Distribution: K.G. Distribution, AAA
Distribution: K.G. Distribution, AAA
Mehdi Charef published Le Thé au Harem d'Archi Ahmed in 1983, one of the first novels to discuss the world of housing projects. Costa Gavras liked the book and offered Mehdi Charef to adapt his own novel for cinema. The film went on to win the Jean Vigo Prize as well as the Cesar award for best first film. "A predecessor of Hate, Tea in the Harem is also more subtle. With neither spectacular effects nor sordid realism, he spends time on what others don't normally show: the shame and embarrassment, the boredom, and the confusion that, like a slow poison, eats away at bodies and minds, day after day" (C. Mury). "I've done something that I can't explain. I felt out my ideas on how to direct, where the scenery and camera should go, and the actors' movements. In the projects, we were careful, we made sure to didn't disturb anyone when we shot late at night. They were all very cooperative, in fact the whole building was helpful. And that, that was my first experience in cinema" (M. Charef).