Changing Times

Antoine (Gérard Depardieu), a French engineer, has arrived in Tangiers to oversee the construction of a major media center. While this is a monumental undertaking, the real reason that Antoine took the assignment is to re-establish contact with his first love, Cécile (Catherine Deneuve), who he has quietly loved for over thirty years. Cécile now lives in Tangiers with her husband Nathan (Gilbert Melki), a Moroccan doctor several years her junior. Their son, Sami (Malik Zidi), has just arrived from Paris with his partner and her 9-year-old son. To Cécile’s surprise, Antoine appears at her doorstep one afternoon. He socializes with Nathan, who then volunteers Cécile’s services to help Antoine find a house for his stay. A few days later, while driving Antoine to see a seaside villa, Cécile’s car breaks down. They decide to walk the rest of the way, during which time they discuss their relationship and the past. Meanwhile, Sami has rekindled an affair with his Moroccan boyfriend Bilal (Nadem Rachati), now working as a groundskeeper on a lavish estate. Antoine runs into Nathan in a casino, and they discuss his romantic feelings for Cécile. Unthreatened, Nathan talks about Cécile’s previous marriage and his own extra-marital affairs. Completely discouraged, Antoine backs off from his pursuit. Anxious to have the project completed, he visits the construction site during a slow Sunday and, while examining some excavation work, gets trapped in a horrible mudslide. Antoine falls into a coma, and Cécile becomes his daily visitor at the hospital.

“Visually alive, quick-witted and full of heart; it thrills you with its energy!” ~ Stephen Holden, The New York Times