Nejma el Djazair

"The Star of Algiers," a sexy, smoky, jazz-filled film feast, is the latest from Algerian director Rachid Benhadj. Moussa is a musician who dreams of becoming the Michael Jackson of Algiers. Displaying equal measures of talent and energy, Moussa pursues this seemingly outlandish ambition by playing with his small band of musicians, first in wedding parties and then in nightclubs. Soon enough, Moussa's hopes become realities, and he's proclaimed the new "Star of Algiers." But not everyone admires his music and his lifestyle, and Moussa's modern ways draw the unwanted attention of his neighborhood's conservative religious clerics - one of whom is his own brother. (St. Louis International Film Festival)