1 / 8
RUNTIME
Did you know
Clocks in at 155 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Secret of the Grain
"It takes will, courage and determination to realise a dream. But most of all it takes family"
2007 2h 35m FR
👍
7.0
SOLID
★7.0TMDB · 253
Drama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
In southern France, a Franco-Arabic shipyard worker along with his partner's daughter pursues his dream of opening a restaurant.
“It takes will, courage and determination to realise a dream. But most of all it takes family”
Cast
Habib Boufares
Slimane Beji
Hafsia Herzi
Rym
Farida Benkhetache
Karima
Abdelhamid Aktouche
Hamid
Alice Houri
Julia
Bouraouïa Marzouk
Souad
Cyril Favre
Serguei
Leila D'Issernio
Lilia
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Abdellatif Kechiche
- Writers
- Ghalya Lacroix, Abdellatif Kechiche
- Languages
- Russian, French, Arabic
- Countries
- France, Tunisia
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 19 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Russian, French, Arabic.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 2 countries: France, Tunisia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche, shot by Lubomir Bakchev. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Camille Toubkis shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Habib Boufares and Hafsia Herzi and Farida Benkhetache carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
FACT
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "It takes will, courage and determination to realise a dream. But most of all it takes family".
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Abdellatif Kechiche directs. Lubomir Bakchev behind the camera. Camille Toubkis cuts. Produced in France, Tunisia. Dialogue in Russian, French, Arabic.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Clocks in at 155 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
- 2Released 19 years ago.
- 3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Russian, French, Arabic.
- 4International production across 2 countries: France, Tunisia.
- 5Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche, shot by Lubomir Bakchev. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Editor Camille Toubkis shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 7Habib Boufares and Hafsia Herzi and Farida Benkhetache carry the top of the cast.
- 8Marketing tagline: "It takes will, courage and determination to realise a dream. But most of all it takes family".
- 9IMDB entry: tt0487419 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 10Classified under 10 themes, including "infidelity", "immigrant", "solidarity", "cooking".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Lubomir Bakchev
- Editing
- Camille Toubkis
- Production design
- Benoît Barouh
- Costume design
- Maria Beloso-Hall
- Makeup / hair
- Severine Marla Levy
- Sound
- Roberto Cappannelli
- Runtime
- 155 min · 2h 35m
- Status
- Released
- Box office
- $14,693,300
- Original language
- FR
- Certification (US)
- 14
Awards
- European Film Academy Critics Award
- Grand Jury Prize of the Venice Film Festival
- Louis Delluc Prize
Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.
Also by
Abdellatif Kechiche
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
Pathé Renn Productions
FR
- HI
Hirsch
FR
France 2 Cinéma
FR
Key crew
- EditorCamille Toubkis
- Production DesignBenoît Barouh
- Costume DesignMaria Beloso-Hall
- CastingMonya Galbi
- Production ManagerBenoît Pilot
- ProducerClaude Berri
- Executive ProducerPierre Grunstein
- Associate ProducerNathalie Rheims
- ProducerJérôme Seydoux
- CastingMorgane Bourhis
- CastingAnne Fremiot
- Art DirectionChristophe Couzon
- Hair DesignerSeverine Marla Levy
- Key Makeup ArtistJean-Christophe Roger
- Key Hair StylistFrance Rossi
- Assistant Unit ManagerKader Bouallaga
- Assistant Unit ManagerAnne Farrer
- Unit Production ManagerBenjamin Hess
- Assistant Production ManagerSophie Hossard
- Post-Production ManagerBenoît Pilot
- Assistant DirectorBenoît Baraquin
- Second Assistant DirectorMorgane Bourhis
- First Assistant DirectorCarlo da Fonseca Parsotam
- Second Assistant DirectorRaphaël De Vellis
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- infidelity
- immigrant
- solidarity
- cooking
- restaurant
- docker
- belly dancing
- family clan
- family conflict
- ex-wife
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical2008-07-1014
- Physical2009-03-11· DVD Premiere
Also known as
International titles
- CouscousGB
- The Secret of The GrainUS
- CuscúsES
- 생선 쿠스쿠스KR
