Cinematheque: Le Grand Voyage

Movies about families normally leaves audience with moments of gratitude and often a tinge of sadness as we realise the changes we have progressed from. We understand families are central in making us who we are. The ideologies our family instil in us become values we grow attach to or have chosen to detach from.

Le Grand Voyage becomes the epitome of this thought as the story chronicles the journey of father and son as they embark on a journey to Mecca. The story starts with resistance as the father, a devout Muslim, asks his reluctant son to drive him by car to Mecca. A thousand kilometre road trip from southern France traveling all the way to Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and other cities before making way to Saudi Arabia. As travel are made enjoyable only with good company, the journey the father and son had to endure was the least comfortable knowing the bond they needed to mend.

What reveals towards the end is a harrowing journey of discovery: the astonishing beauty of connecting cities they stop by at unraveling moments of truth and disappointments they bitterly have to accept in the name of family.

As the famous saying goes, “blood is thicker than water,” the movie becomes a pivotal idea of reconciliation and acceptance as the son learns about the values of Islam he has chosen to stray away from, also learning about the important aspects of being family.

Le Grand Voyage is an endearing story for anyone who wishes to wonder into the beauty of the world while giving gratitude to closest people who made you who you are today.

– Athina Ibrahim