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The Desert Ark

Name: The Desert Ark
Genre: Drama
Released: 1998-01-28
Cast: Myriam Aouffen, Abdelkader Belmokadem, Hacen Abdou, Hassan Kachach, Messaouda Adami

1998 | 87 min | Drama

Monday Morning Maybeearly rating

Why it’s a Monday Morning Maybe

With a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: If you count yourself among anyone who loves a strong drama, this one's for you. Leaves you with something to think about.
The mood: Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace: Gives its people room to develop, at 1 hr 27 min. Done before bedtime.
What might put you off: It's in another language, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
Skip it if you need something light and fast tonight.

The Desert Ark (L'Arche du Desert), a variation on Romeo and Juliet set in the Algerian desert. A young couple must face inevitable conflict when their rival families discover their secret love. Taking refuge in a cave, they listen to the sounds of a senseless campaign of violence and murder, which is the culmination of the extremism that has long divided their two communities. Nominated for the Golden Leopard at the 1997 Locarno Film Festival.

How it earned its rating

CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
AwardsNot counted
Awards data unavailable, so this isn't counted
Reach & staying powerWeak
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far
Buzz & cultural impactWeak
Not enough engagement data yet

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Cast & crew

Directed by Mohamed Chouikh

Myriam AouffenMyriam
Abdelkader BelmokademWise Omar
Hacen AbdouAmin
Hassan KachachUncle
Messaouda AdamiHouria du Ksar
Shyraz AlianeCousine
Amin ChouikhChild
Hamdou DjaballahMusician
Lynda FaresMyriam's aunt
Rachid Dahmane