Sharjah Art Foundation

Sharjah Biennial 16

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
6 Febuary — 15 June 2025

Until the Birds Return, 2017

Until the Birds Return, 2017
Director: Karim Moussaoui
Algeria
Narrative | 113 minutes
Arabic with English subtitles
Film Still

Synopsis

Until the Birds Return is a captivating tale of three protagonists: a wealthy property developer struggling to keep the people close to him happy, a young bride-to-be who comes face to face with an old flame and an ambitious neurologist anxious for promotion. In his directorial debut, Karim Moussaoui effortlessly interweaves the journeys of these strangers. As each of their journeys ends, the next seamlessly begins, and their present, past and future circumstances are revealed, one by one. Ultimately, their dilemmas are addressed with choices that will permanently affect their futures.

This film has received five nominations and won three awards: Best First Film, Lumiere Awards (2018) and Special Jury Award and Best Production Design, Gijon International Film Festival (2017).