IBRAHIM AND THE FLOWERS OF THE KORAN

France, 2003, 98 minutes, Colour.
Omar Sharif, Pierre Boullanger.
Directed by Francois Dupeyran.

Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran was co-adapted by the director and the novelist Emmanuel Schmidt from his own novel. The film is a memoir of a boy growing up in the mid-50s in Paris. He has an unfortunate family but finds a surrogate father in the Arab who owns the grocery store across the street.

Omar Sharif, who received a Lifetime Award at Venice Film Festival in 2003 with the screening of this film, shows what an extraordinary impact he has had on the screen from the time that he rode in on the camel in Lawrence of Arabia, became Dr Zhivago and appeared in so many films over a period spanning more than forty years. In this film he is full of life, charm as well as great dignity.

Ibrahim explains that he is from the Golden Crescent rather from an Arab, although this is how French people of the time saw him. He has a great love for the boy, eventually adopting him and taking him on a journey back to his own past. The film is very strong (even voicing it at some stages) that love, culture and faith are caught rather than taught. This Jewish boy, who knows very little about his own religion, is so influenced by the humanity of the Muslim that he makes his nickname Momo, not an abbreviation of Moses, which it is, but of Mohammed. Pierre Boullanger is excellent as the boy who is coming of age, is preoccupied with sex, eyes the prostitutes on the street in which he lives in Paris, yet learns from Ibrahim greater maturity in knowing himself, relationships, finding his identity and finding a future. It is a humane film which respects all peoples, all cultures, all religions. The director Francois Dupeyron made the very effective film about the war wounded in 1914-18, The Officers' Chambers.

1. The film's focus on France in the 1950s, Muslims and Jews, a bid for peace, respect and understanding?

2. The re-creation of the street on which Momo lived, the detail, the atmosphere of Paris, the view from the window, the people passing, the shop, the prostitutes on the street, his own house and its darkness, books, kitchen? The situation to understand the young boy? Momo's world?

3. Momo and his age, his birthday, his memories of his piggy bank and his father's words - and the coin coming out? His watching the prostitutes, breaking the piggy bank, going to solicit in the street, the rejections, Sylvie taking him in, her initiation, kindliness and care? His later visits to the other women, the African woman and her looking after him? His stopping the thief and saving the bag for the other prostitute? His being liked and understood on the street?

4. Age sixteen, going to the shop, not understanding what an Arab was or where the Golden Crescent was, not knowing about the Koran? Not knowing much about his Jewish background? His going to the shop, his relationship with his father? Cooking the meals, exasperated, his father's comparison's with his absent older brother, his absent mother? Buying the cat food and serving his father? His not reading, but his talking with Ibrahim, starting to look up the dictionaries to understand religion, inner spirituality and virtue?

5. Omar Sharif's portrait of Ibrahim, the shop, explaining he was not an Arab but from the Golden Crescent, sitting at the stool, giving people their change, knowing that Momo was stealing but preferring that he stole from him? His genial personality? With the customers? Momo and the discussions, the cat food for his father, giving him the Koran, talking about Arabs and religion? Momo discovering some meaning in life?

6. The mother gone, Momo pretending that he did not know who her son was when she returned? His disdain for her? His father, sternness, at work, the food, the pate and the cat food, the spoilt wine, his father with the laxative, the toilet paper, forever cranky, reading in the dark, criticising Momo, praising his son Paul? Not wanting the sun inside the house for the books? His being fired, sitting and moping, leaving the note, the information that he had thrown himself under a train?

7. Momo at school, his friends, the young girl, throwing water over her, yet attracted, her seeing him getting the shoes with Ibrahim, learning to dance, kissing? Discussing this with Ibrahim and his joy? Seeing her kiss the other boy and his anger? Yet her saying goodbye before the trip?

8. Momo and Ibrahim in Paris, the walks, opening up the world to him, buying him the shoes? The plan for the trip, buying the car, getting the driving licence and Momo coaching him? The driving through Greece, Turkey, the visit to Istanbul, the Orthodox church and its incense, the Catholic church and its candles, the mosque? Buying things at the market? The beauty of the Muslim countries?

9. The driving into the hills of Turkey and the areas near Iraq and Iran? Ibrahim and his feeling at home, wanting to be near the river, Momo and his walk in the road and in awe of the scenery? Yet still thinking of his street in Paris?

10. The surprise of the crash, Ibrahim and his feeling that his life journey was over, bestowing his wisdom to Momo, Momo assisting at his death?

11. The will, Ibrahim leaving everything to Momo because he had chosen him as his father? Momo growing up, taking Ibrahim's place, being the Arab on the street - yet being a Frenchman who was at peace with the world?