L’armée du salut

The filmmaker is also a writer, or maybe primarily a writer. He based the story on his semi-autobiographical novel of the same name.
The film comprises two parts. In the first part, the protagonist is about 15 years old. He lives with his parents in Casablanca, Morocco, and discovers his homosexual feelings and also his desire to go to Europe. The first part is colourful and sunny and very North African.
Part two is set 10 years later in a grey and cold and very European Geneva. The protagonist is now a student but poverty-stricken and looking for shelter with the Salvation Army (hence the title).
The film does not feel like a film version of a book, but is beautifully shot – the camerawork is by the famous Agnès Godard – and tells the stories soberly and effectively. The division into two parts (younger and older, lighter and darker) contributes to making the experiences more profound.

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