Zozo (2005)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Josef Fares

Writer:

Josef Fares (writer)

Release Date:

2 September 2005 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

There is always hope.

Plot:

Story of an Arabic boy moving from Lebanon to Sweden. |

Plot Keywords:

Boy | Melodrama | Air Raid | Flute | Garbage Dumpster

Awards:

5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Imad Creidi	...	Zozo
Antoinette Turk	...	Rita
Elias Gergi	...	Zozo's grandfather
Carmen Lebbos	...	Zozo's Mom
Viktor Axelsson	...	Leo
Charbel Iskandar	...	Zozo's father
Yasmine Awad	...	Zozo's grandmother
Jad Stehpan	...	Zozo's brother Dani
Tatiana Sarkis	...	Zozo's sister
Elie Stello	...	Amil
Fidel Béchara	...	Riad
Fouad Hojeij	...	Headmaster Lebanon
Abdallah Jabbour	...	French Teacher
Nazem Issa	...	Kaak Salesman
Elias Abdul	...	Bread Salesman (as Elias Abdul Ahad)

Runtime:

105 min | Canada:103 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Sweden | UK | Denmark

Language:

Arabic | Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Norway:11 | Finland:K-11 | Sweden:11 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Beirut, Lebanon

Company:

Memfis Film

Trivia:

The director, Josef Fares, have casted his own relatives in "Zozo", as he has done in other films. We see Abdulahad Fares as Rita's dad and hear Fares Fares (Josefs brother) as the voice of the chicken.

It's Good but Could Have been Much Better!

This movie isn't bad nor great. A Swedish friend of mine gave me the movie to watch and it was the 1st Joseph Fares' movie that I've seen .. according to my Swedish friend; he liked the movie but he believes it isn't his best.

While I was watching the movie I felt I'm back to Beirut again which I visited in the summer of 2005 .. and naturally because Joseph has Lebanese roots he is capable of showing it realistically even much more better than most of Arabian movies.

The problem to me is .. that movie isn't clear .. I mean what's the point exactly? .. not that the movie isn't well made or unbalanced .. it is well made and well balanced but sometimes you get the feeling that the movie is just an empty beautiful picture! Because it doesn't go deep enough. Compare "Zozo" to "West Beirut" and maybe you will know what I mean.

Imad Creidi gave a very good performances .. Carmen Lebbos was good .. the rest were also good.

I believe this movie is good .. it has a good message but fails to show the message in the best way.

Joseph Fares did an amazing job especially on cinematography and I think has a good potential to make a few great movies in the future .. I hope I can see other movies for Joseph Fares like "Jalla Jalla!" and "Kopps".