Nordine, the son of a Moroccan miner, has grown up in Sallaumines in Northern France.
His father wishes to be buried in his native village in the Atlas mountains; in order to respect the elderly man’s wishes, Nordine accompanies him on his final journey home, thereby following the path of his roots back to a country that he’s never known. Along the way, memories rise to the surface.
His encounters with Mimoun, a slightly crazy man from Tangiers, and Nora, a young woman searching for new horizons, allow him to discover more about his father, about whom he knows next to nothing, and the palpable reality of a country that he’s only caught glimpses of via a few family tales.
“Tenja” echoes like a song that has been rolling around in our minds since childhood but whose lyrics have only just become clear.