Not a whole lot happens in London River, which sets it apart from Rachid Bouchareb's other recent films — sweeping epics like Days of Glory and Outside the Law. Here, the Franco-Algerian director has elected to work on the other end of the scale, and the result is a small, subtle piece that nevertheless packs a hefty emotional punch.

Sotigui Kouyate, Brenda Blethyn

In the wake of the London bombings of 7/7/2005 Elisabeth (Brenda Blethyn), a fifty-something widowed farmer, calls her city-dwelling daughter Jane just to check up. Failing repeatedly to reach her, Elisabeth does what any mother would do—packs up a small case and heads out to look for her in London.

She arrives at the same time as Ousmane (Sotigui Kouyate), a stoic elderly African-born Muslim who in similar fashion has come in pursuit of his son Ali—who he fears is somehow involved in the attacks.

Once these two main characters are introduced, London River becomes a slow dance between them, starting out as a box-step at arm's length and taking its time to develop into something softer and more intimate. Their connection begins when Ousmane comes across a ‘MISSING' flyer bearing Jane's picture, and recognizes her from a photo he has of his son. He seeks out Elisabeth and shows her the photo, which freaks her out to the point of calling the police and having Ousmane arrested.

Gradually, however, Elisabeth has to admit that her white, Christian daughter is (was?) in a serious relationship with the very black and very Muslim Ali—she has not only been living with him but taking Arabic lessons and (gasp!) attending mosque. The anger these revelations arouse in Elisabeth is at first partially directed at Ousmane, but eventually it sinks in that he is in the same boat, and the two end up pooling their resources in the search for their missing children.

London River, however, is not a mystery-thriller that would have the two following clues and connecting dots. In fact they spend most of their time just wandering about, showing photos of their children, checking on hospitals and morgues, and trying to get a handle on their own emotions. In the end, the film is about Elisabeth coming to terms with the idea that she is inexorably connected to Ousmane (just as his son Ali turns out to have been intimately connected to her daughter). The greater point implied, of course, is that here in the 21st-century global village the dark other can no longer really be considered other; and by extension (this might be a leap, but I'd like to make it) none of us can really consider ourselves disconnected from any of our fellow humans. What is miraculous is that Bouchareb makes this point without any of the ham-handedness that would have been inevitable from, say, an American director; he simply allows it to come through gracefully yet unmistakably.

Light on plot and low in budget, London River wisely banks on the skills of its two leads. Blethyn is as always solid, delivering a nuanced performance that captures Elisabeth's roller-coaster ride but never becomes theatrical. Kouyate is a revelation, playing Ousmane with an air of aloof stateliness and at the same time infusing him with a deep, aching humanity (London River won him the Best Actor prize in Berlin). Bouchareb regulars like Sami Bouajila and Roschdy Zem appear in smaller parts, but the film belongs to Blethyn and Kouyate.

Made in 2009, London River is finally being released stateside, through the auspices of the tireless folks at Cinema Libré Studio.

Watch the trailer. London River opens at the Laemmle Royal in West Los Angeles on Dec. 16, 2011. On 12/16 a Q & A following the 7 pm screening will include Jihad Turk of the Islamic Center of Southern California. A second Q & A follows the 12/17 7 pm screening and features Prof Jawad Ali of CSU Fullerton, and a third Q & A follows the Sunday, 12/18 3 pm screening with Shakeel Syed of the Shura Council and Munira Syeda of CAIR.