
The Empire of Dreams(1982)
A stubborn director who wants to rediscover the Algiers of his childhood comes up against the “Hollywood” fantasies of his characters, non-professionals all hoping to be able to become “someone else”, at least for the duration of a film… Mise en abyme for a journey into megalomania…

Movie: The Empire of Dreams
Top 9 Billed Cast

أحلام (Ahlam)
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Overview
A stubborn director who wants to rediscover the Algiers of his childhood comes up against the “Hollywood” fantasies of his characters, non-professionals all hoping to be able to become “someone else”, at least for the duration of a film… Mise en abyme for a journey into megalomania…
Release Date
1982-06-05
Average
10
Rating:
5.0 startsTagline
Genres
Languages:
العربيةFrançaisKeywords
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