A haunting supernatural tale confronting memory, faith and violence
In 1993, after a car crash leaves Ahmed amnesiac, he returns to his village, where nothing feels familiar—not his wife, not his children. In the present, an ageing Raqi battles Alzheimer’s, while his disciple grows worried. While strange visitors whisper litanies in an unknown tongue, Ahmed fears regaining memory—while the disciple fears his master’s decline may unleash an ancient evil.
A grounded and haunting possession tale, where horror reveals national trauma and generational guilt, and whose haunting voices and supernatural visions linger long after the end.
“Writer/director Yanis Koussim turns Algeria’s Black Decade into an effective possession narrative”
Nikki Baughan Screen Daily 02/09/2025
Yanis KOUSSIM
Born in Sétif in 1977, Yanis Koussim is an Algerian director and screenwriter. After studying at La Fémis, he directed in first short film, Khti (2008), which screened in numerous international festivl. His second short film, Khouya (2010) was critically acclaimed and awarded at Locarno. Roqia (2025) is his first feature film. He is the founder of Plateau19, a collective of filmmakers advocating for independent cinema in Algeria.
