Short Synopsis
Aref, a Lebanese farmer, moves to Europe with his son Nabil to set up a small business growing saffron, the most expensive of all spices, "red gold".
Nabil, lively and cultured, is the brains of the operation. His father, although unfailingly kind and gentle, is illiterate, a little strange and offbeat.
When disaster strikes the small plantation and causes a serious accident, Aref is discovered to possess a mysterious healing power that he himself was unaware of.
While this power may seem miraculous, it also arouses the hostility and jealousy of some of the local inhabitants. However, all Aref wants, is for the flowers of red gold to open...
Credits
Director: Camille Vidal-Naquet
Screenplay: Camille Vidal-Naquet & Laurent Lunetta
Producers: Emmanuel Giraud, Janine Teerling, Marios Piperides
Production Manager: Zenon Hadjipavlou
Production Coordinator: Dimitra Papouri
Production Designer: Marios Neocleous
Director's Bio/Filmography
Camille Vidal-Naquet is a French writer/director. After obtaining his Master Degree in Literature, he directed an experimental short film in sign language, followed by two short fictions. His debut feature “Sauvage” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, where it won the Rising Star Award and subsequently travelled to festivals and screens worldwide, receiving rave reviews in the press. “Aref” will be his second feature film.
Original title: Aref
International title: Aref
Duration: 100 mins
Format: 4K
Sound: Dolby Digital
Year: 2025
Original Language: French, Arabic, Greek
Countries of Production: France, Cyprus
Production Companies: Les Films de La Croisade, AMP Filmworks
With support of: Creative Europe - Media Desk
WORLD SALES
Pyramide Distribution