A life in the week of a handyman wouldn’t sound all that compelling at first consideration, but Sis Dies Corrents tells a vibrant story of assimilation and acceptance as Moroccan immigrant Moha (Mohamed Melali) goes through his trial week for an electricity and plumbing company in Barcelona, Spain.
When Moha arrives at the company for his first day, he’s almost turned away by Valero (Valero Escolar) because of his mispronunciation of “lusilla” as “lucia”, beginning their working relationship on a bad foot denoted by Moha’s lack of Spanish fluency. Throughout the week, Moha works with Valero and Pep (Pep Sarrá) on a diverse set of jobs to try and demonstrate his skills, but it quickly becomes apparent that his main challenge for the week will be getting along with Valero.
Moha and Valero contrast one another in virtually every way, from their cultures to their working methods to their temperaments. Moha’s efforts to understand and adapt to Barcelona are underscored by his general tranquility and openness. Despite this, Valero’s character manages to show a stubborn distaste for Moha which is questioned continuously by Pep and others.
By seeing both Moha and Valero’s perspectives in and outside of work, Sis Dies Corrents presents the old and the new confronted with trying to understand one another. Both characters face personal issues that cloud their interactions and only further contribute to their differences, serving as a representation of how we can easily take out the worst of ourselves on people we feel distant from.
Sis Dies Corrents manages to address situations containing complex, underlying issues with a uniquely humorous approach. The film’s tone creates room for both productive conversation and the sense of commonality induced by humor, acting as an effective and fresh conduit to addressing the challenges that can come with accepting others.
Sis Dies Corrents
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival 2022, June 8-12.
This article appears in June 10 • 2022.