The title of this film references the cyclical nature of life and the relevance and interconnectedness of all of us in the scheme of things however tenuous the link. Employing the anthology structure to plunge us into contemporary Algeria which is like reading a palm. Everything from its oppressive colonial past and the violent revolution which finally won its independence from France only to later have to deal with the sectarian violence of Al-Quada and deliver themselves from that tyranny has left a landscape scarred and a population shell-shocked. There are clusters of modern high rises surrounded by acres of crumbling buildings and rubble-strewn uninhabited wastelands.

The first of three stories involves the family of a real estate developer, Mourad, his ex-wife and wayward son, Nassim, a reluctant medical student. Mourad is working to obtain the contract for a new hospital project and his son is threatening to quit medical school. Mourad has stress on all sides including from his new wife who hates Algeria and wants to return to France. Mourad is not a man of great character and when his car breaks down in an ominous area of semi-completed buildings which is deserted at night he is appalled to witness a brutal beating of a young man by two vicious thugs. Not only does he do nothing to deter them, after they have left, he does nothing to help the young man who is not yet dead. He leaves and does not call the police or tell anyone. The incident nags him only slightly until his son is hit on his motorcycle, a gift from Mourad, and lands up in the hospital. It is only then that Mourad can empathize with the relatives of the beaten boy and question the consequences of his inaction.

The next episode is connected by Djalil, a trusted employee of Mourad, who is the fixer of all things complicated. Djalil needs to take some time off to drive a friend and his two daughters to another town where the eldest, Aïcha, is betrothed in an arranged marriage. As the trip progresses it becomes clear that there is some history between Aïcha and Djalil. An unexpected health issue interrupts the trip and allows Aïcha and Djalil the opportunity to be alone. Now the tension between them can be expressed and we are privy to their backstory. It is depicted with a musical interlude accompanied by dancers and a band of troubadors who come out of nowhere. It is odd, light-hearted and unexpected. It works.

The third story also uses the device of the car breakdown. The focus is on Dahman, a handsome, well-respected doctor, on his way to a his own wedding. He is stunned to be told that there is a poor woman known to relatives of his fiancé who is spreading horrific war time gossip about him. When he goes to face her, he is defensive, dismissive and disbelieving. Her heartbreaking story, however, is true. It establishes the doctor’s presence at the time and place of her vicious attack. She is clever and her point of view convincingly paints a picture of passive complicity. She needs a favor from him and is appealing to his sense of decency and empathy. Initially reluctant to acquiesce, since it would require that he accept her version of events. He wrestles seriously with his conscience until he decides to do the right thing. It may be too late.

I see these as morality tales woven together by themes of happenstance, random encounters, chance and choice, causality and regret. They have, in common, moments of clarity and self-awareness. Filmed in a simple realistic style, the director is able to drop us into the center of the lives of the characters and go deeply into the pivotal moment, ask the questions, and leave before the questions are answered. The open-endedness of the stories is refreshing and effective. The relevance of the issues raised is universal and the stories are hauntingly believable.