Last February, the film made history by competing in the National Competition at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.
Algerian director Mouloud Aït Liotna’s short drama film The House is on Fire, Might, as Well Get Warm has scored the Special Jury Award at the 21st IndieLisboa – International Film Festival in Lisbon, which ran from May 23 to June 2.
In a statement, the jury said: “Many of the films this year grapple with what it means to leave home. This anxiety takes on a specific shape when leaving is a choice. This film occupies the days before such a departure, when the most familiar actions — picking up milk at the shop, or drinking a morning coffee with your parents — transform into precious, existential experiences.
If you stop and think for too long, you won’t get on the bus, boat or plane. This ambivalence is felt in villages around the world, but in this case, it is a Kabyle village. For articulating this feeling with precision — both the humour and the heartbreak — we give the Special Jury Award to The House is on Fire, Might as Well Get Warm.”
The short film had its first World premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight of the 76th Cannes Film Festival. Also, it made history by competing in the National Competition at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival last February.
The film gained recognition at several film festivals, including the Festival de Cinéma de Douarnenez, Bejaia Film Encounters, Cinemed – Festival Cinéma Méditerranéen Montpellier and the Festival des Cinémas d’Afrique du Pays d’Apt.
The House is on Fire, Might as Well Get Warm follows Yanis — a young Kabyle man — who is leaving for Paris. To tie up some loose ends, he goes to the nearby village, where he learns of the death of a childhood friend and meets another at the funeral.
A mishap in a café turns his last day in the backwaters of Algeria into a road movie.
With its cinematography and cast performances, the film blends elements of drama and road movie genres to create a thought-provoking experience for audiences. It also sheds light on the issue of Algerian immigration into France.
During its production phase, the film received crucial financial support from esteemed institutions such as Région Occitanie, AFAC, and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée.
Written and directed by Mouloud Aït Liotna and produced by Avant la Nuit of Benjamin Costes and Thibaut Amri, the film stars Mehdi Ramdani — well-known for Until the Birds Return and Mohamed Lefkir.
The film was lensed by Jowan Le Besco and edited by Esther Frey. MAD Distribution handles the film’s distribution in the Arab-speaking world.
Mouloud Aït Liotna studied cinema and philosophy before working in documentary development. The House is on Fire, Might as Well Get Warm is his first short film.
