L'ange de goudron

Three years ago, Ahmed Kasmi fled Algeria with his wife and two children. The seething unrest of the time and the imminent threat of civil war forced the family to seek refuge in Canada. In a week’s time, they will be awarded Canadian citizenship. Ahmed prepares himself for the big day with great care. He has splashed out on a new suit and has rehearsed the lyrics of the Canadian hymn. His 19-year-old son has joined a group of young political activists who break into the immigration offices with the purpose of destroying all the data on the computers. During the raid, Hafid is filmed by the security cameras and is forced to go underground. When Ahmed recognizes his own son on television, his whole world collapses. In a desperate attempt to help Hafid and in the vain hope of retaining their chance of obtaining Canadian citizenship, Ahmed sets off on his own into the snowbound streets of Montreal. (Catalogue IFB, 2002)