IF YOU DIE, I KILL YOU

SI TU MEURS, JE TE TUE

CINEMANIA 2008 audiences were blown away by Hiner Saleem's BENEATH THE ROOFTOPS OF PARIS. His eagerly awaited IF YOU DIE, I KILL YOU, has been equally acclaimed.

Philippe (Jonathan Zaccaï), a small-time Parisian fraud artist, meets-up with Avdal, an illegal and penniless Kurdish immigrant who dreams of remaining in France. Avdal has already sent for his fiancee, Siba (the angelic Golshifteh Farahani), when he suddenly dies of natural causes.

Philippe is forced to do the right thing - arrange for a funeral and try to advise next of kin. Before his untimely death, Avdal had proudly shown a photo of his fiancee to Philippe and let him know that Siba was on her way to Paris. Of course, there's no one to greet Siba at the airport, and she frantically tries to orient herself. Philippe in turn hardly knows where to start in locating a Kurdish girl alone in Paris. The language barrier is overwhelming. And, all he has is a photo....

Despite the apparent seriousness of the scenario, director Saleem injects enormous good humour into Philippe's search for Siba within the large Kurdish community of Paris. Until, that is, the dead man's father arrives on the scene - an angry, vindictive misogynist, drowning in sorrow.

The story centres around Philippe's uncharacteristic search for redemption. His quest to find Siba becomes an obsession, a responsibility he cannot escape...

2011 CABOURG FILM FESTIVAL (FRANCE) OFFICIAL COMPETITION: Coup de foudre Award