The Traveller

Hadi Ghandour | France, Lebanon | 2016 | 100 min. | Arabic, French spoken | English subtitles

Hearing travel agent Adnan talk about the delights of Rome and New York, makes one tempted to pack their bags and leave right away. The irony is that Adnan himself has never left Lebanon. His fantasy turns into reality when his employer breaks his leg while dancing at a wedding and sends Adnan in his place to an important travel conference in Paris. The international experience is pretty overwhelming for Adnan, a shy man from a small Lebanese village. He feels more comfortable around the owner of a Lebanese restaurant and around his cousin Insaf, who lives in a spacious apartment with her grown daughter Layla. In five days of Paris, Adnan has experienced more than he did in five years, as he also learns a lot about the world and about himself.