KHALED
Canada, 2002, 85 minutes, Colour.
Michael d' Ascenzo, Michelle Duquet, Norman Bissonnette.
Directed by Asgah Massombagi.
Khaled is a brief film, shot digitally, on location in Toronto apartments, schools and streets. It focuses on a ten-year-old boy, the son of a Canadian and a Moroccan father who has abandoned his family.
Khaled is bullied at school but has one friend, Ivan, a migrant from Eastern Europe. There are various neighbours in the apartment block including a man who has a birdcage and a blind woman who befriends Khaled. The caretaker of the apartment block is threatening Khaled and his ill mother. Khaled's mother is an ex-junkie, consumed with a fatal illness which actually kills her. Khaled, who has previously been in foster care, wants to avoid it and acts as if his mother has not died, coping with making everything appear that she is still there, pretending at school, yet, when the caretaker threatens, he blocks himself in and is in danger of starving. The social worker also wants to see the mother and Khaled in order to arrange a future.
The film is a vivid portrait of resourceful young lad, his devotion to his mother, his ingenuity in preserving his privacy.
The director is a migrant from Iran who studied in Canada and made a number of short films before this directorial debut.
1. The impact of the film? A young boy, his resourcefulness, his age and experience and inexperience? His destiny as a ward of the state and in foster care?
2. The film and its digital photography, the interiors of the apartment and the staircase, the basement? The schoolyard and the school classrooms? The authentic atmosphere of Toronto? The musical score, songs?
3. The structure of the film: the focus on Khaled, his being in almost every scene, his relationship with his mother, school, friend, the caretaker, the neighbours, the social worker? The situation of his mother's death and his handling it?
4. The portrait of Khaled, his age, experience, being bullied at school, fighting, his mother being called to the school, the principal and the teachers? The fellow students and the bullying? His friendship with Ivan yet telling him not to follow him around? His love for his mother, his absent father? Listening to the Moroccan music? His creativity and using the torch during the night to write his diary? Love for his mother, her illness, smoking, asking what age she began? The meagre meals? His work in the house, the microwave above the fridge? Getting the tablets for his mother as she coughed in the night? His dreams? The pathos of her death? His decision to pretend that nothing had happened? Cleaning the house, the air freshener? His answers for the teachers, for the caretaker, for the neighbours? His trying to manage, the food? The paper in the door to test whether the caretaker had entered? Time passing, his barricading himself in the apartment, not having any food, the contaminated soup? Ivan and his offering food, being caught by the caretaker?
5. The door being opened, Khaled being caught? The final shot of the empty apartment - and audiences imagining what was to happen?
6. The portrait of the mother, drugs, illness, tablets? Not having any money? The food, care for Khaled? His care for her, washing her back, the tablets? Her death? The pathos of her sitting on the floor in the apartment room?
7. The caretaker, his intrusiveness, coming on to Monique? His attitude towards Khaled? His deals and the stuff stored in the basement? Trying to get into the room?
8. The social worker, the visits, the future for Khaled, his trying to do his best?
9. The neighbours, the man with the birdcage and his walk? The blind lady, Khaled always running, helping her with her groceries, her offer of cookies, his always saying that he should not accept things, his going to her finally to say that he thought his mother had died, her welcoming him?
10. The staff at school, classes? The teachers, the boys being reported, especially after the fights?
11. A glimpse of life amongst poorer people and migrants in the modern Canadian city?
