Film guide 2019
The Unknown Saint
A thief returns for buried money and finds his hiding place has acquired devoted visitors.
- Original title
- Le Miracle du saint inconnu
- Director
- Alaa Eddine Aljem
- Year
- 2019
Editorial profile. Availability on LAREINE TV has not been confirmed.
Story, without spoilers
Before his arrest, a thief hides stolen money beneath a makeshift grave on a remote hill. Returning after prison, he discovers a shrine to an unknown saint on the same spot. Retrieving the money now means navigating a village whose life revolves around that unexpected landmark.
Context & recognition
Alaa Eddine Aljem’s first feature screened in Critics’ Week at Cannes in 2019. Its comic premise links a private pursuit of money with a community’s attachments, turning a concealed crime into a public complication.
Main characters & cast
The thief
Younes Bouab
A returning prisoner determined to recover his hidden money.
The Brain
Salah Bensalah
The thief’s accomplice in his efforts to retrieve it.
The doctor
Anas El Baz
A medical practitioner in the village surrounding the shrine.
