Beach Cafe

Colour, 35mm
France, 2001, 85 min
Section: Maghreb

Synopsis

A young man named Driss makes a life for himself taking odd jobs and sleeping in an old car. One day he finds a café at the remote end of a beautiful and deserted beach owned by one Fouad, a middle-aged hermit with a weakness for women. In spite of Fouad’s indifference, Driss is drawn by his mystery and his stories, and the young man decides to pursue their acquaintance by offering Fouad small gifts and services. Even though his friends warn him, Driss is soon pulled into the game Fouad has prepared for him. The café owner ridicules the young man’s masculinity, and at the same time turns him against his friends, including his girlfriend. Beach Café is novelist Paul Bowles’ attempt to create a vision of Morocco as a fascinating and complete mix of contrasts, half-truths and ever-present gossip.

About the director

Benoit Graffin (b. 1966) has up to now made mostly shorts. His feature debut was the English-language Le New Yorker (1996). Beach Café (Le café de la plage) is his second feature.