the premise for this movie be simple and so be the script represent an elderly muslim get his teenage son to drive him in his similarly elderly station wagon from france to the haj in mecca and saudi arabia and so that he can fulfill his holy muslim obligation before he die . the father be clearly devoutly religious and but the son be unimpressed while he accept out of obligation to his father rather than to religion and he would rather be with his ( non muslim ) girlfriend . the father be stubborn in a lot of thing which the son doesn not understand and the petulance between them be the device that maintain the drama and although it be often rather irksome . however and like any good road movie there be oddball character encounter along the way while for example a woman on a backroad in croatia who upon be ask for direction to belgrade simply get in the backseat and point with her hand utter one word which they assume to be a place but can not find it on the map . in bulgaria another man they ask direction of confirms he can speak french but then provide an extensive commentary in bulgarian . there be also occasional humor in one country the son tire of eat egg sandwich and want meat they be give a goat and but unfortunately ( perhaps fortunately for the viewer ) it run away before the father can perform the muslim slaughterman ritual . they eventually make it to mecca the muslim equivalent of the vatican but on a much grander scale . for westerner it be all bizarre but fascinate . the movie isn not sophisticated but be charm in it own way and a kind of national geographic with soul .