1996 · 98 min · Comedy
The comedy in this lively film barely conceals its darker, more serious undertones as it chronicles a young Algerian's eye-opening introduction to the joys and travails of being an immigrant in Paris. Alilo has left his home to pick up an important suitcase for his employer. Unfortunately, he has lost the Parisian address. Fortunately, his cousin Mok, emigrated there several years before with his middle-class family before and is able to act as a guide. Mok, an aspiring rap singer, comes from a middle-class family, but chooses to live on his own in the dilapidated deteriorating 18th district, known as 'Moskova.' Mok characterizes the place as a haven for artists and intellectuals, but it is plainly just a Third World slum filled with tightly knit and colorful neighbors. Mok and Alilo have many interesting, some tragedy-tinged adventures over the five days it takes them to find the suitcase.
Directed by Merzak Allouache. Starring Gad Elmaleh, Massoud Hattou, Magaly Berdy, Ann-Gisel Glass and Jean Benguigui.
Lyradrift plots Salut cousin ! as a star at the centre of its own sky, with related films orbiting it as satellites, gathered from TMDB recommendations, shared themes, Wikidata links (same director, writer, series, source material or subject) and closeness of feel, then chosen for the strongest evidence — the closer and brighter a star, the more strongly it is related. Fly to any satellite to make it the new centre and keep exploring.
Explore Salut cousin ! on Lyradrift →
This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.