“Panic by wedding”: a Tunisian look at CA ‘Foscari Short Film Festival
The CA ‘Foscari Short Film Festival 2024: A springboard for young student filmmakers
In the European cinematographic landscape, the CA ‘Foscari Short Film Festival shines like a rising star, not only as a leading event, but also as an expression platform for student filmmakers from around the world. Directed brilliantly by university students under the enlightened artistic direction of Maria Roberta Novielli, this festival has become a key in multimedial research, collaborating with renowned film schools and international distributors to offer a showcase with emerging talents.
At the heart of this year 2024, the 14th edition of the CA ‘Foscari Short Film Festival illuminated Venice for two days, from March 22 to 23, with a captivating selection of 30 carefully chosen short films. These works, shaped by university students and cinema schools from various backgrounds, transformed the city into a crossroads of student cinema, attracting the attention of moviegoers from around the world.
Wedding panic : Poignant satire of the institution of marriage in Tunisia
Among these cinematographic jewels, Wedding panic From Haithem Ben Hmida shone in a thousand lights. This daring work, both black comedy and social satire, offers a striking look at arranged marriages in Tunisia, exposing the tensions and the absurdities that often characterize them. The story takes place during a wedding ceremony where the unexpected occurs: the promised bride suddenly succumbs to a fatal asthma. What could have been a moment of compassion is transformed into a surrealist situation where the guests, abandoning empathy, see only the economic implications of this unexpected. In an act of cruelty and cynicism, the parents of the bride and groom and the guests suggest immediately replacing the bride who died by another present woman, transforming the event into a macabre “casting” to find her replacement. This absurd sequence highlights the superficiality and the absurdity of arranged marriages, stressing the dehumanization which often accompanies them.
The film is dedicated to “All the martyrs of the matrimonial institution in Tunisia”. Haithem Ben Hmida shared his motivation for this project during an interview, explaining:“I started to see marriage as the grave of romantic relationships”. This dark vision is reflected in the unhappy representation of marriage in the film, where love seems to be relegated to the miles of musicians committed to entertain the guests. Ben Hmida deliberately highlighted this contrast between the absence of love in a materialist and opportunistic context, and its presence in ridiculous and mediocre songs.
The criticism welcomed the courage and lucidity of Ben Hmida, praising his ability to make a direct and sincere short film capable of arouse reflection. The choice to run the film as a documentary, with a shoulder camera, was particularly appreciated for its authenticity, giving the film a quick and sharp rhythm. This cinematographic style has created an atmosphere of suspense and mystery, reinforced by an enigmatic final where the breath lacks a character, leaving a poignant metaphor over the lack of humanity in arranged marriages. Haithem Ben Hmida shared his intention to create a mysterious final, suggesting that it could be the cameraman of the film which feels bad after having witnessed the cruelty of the situation.
The emerging talent of Haithem Ben Hmida
Beyond its artistic impact, Wedding panic Also reveals the emerging talent of its director, Haithem Ben Hmida. At just 26 years old, Haithem has already produced three short films before Wedding panicdemonstrating a remarkable mastery of his art. A graduate in writing and cinematographic management of the Gammarth Audiovisual and Cinema School and the Higher Institute of Arts and Multimedia in Manouba, he has a solid training that is reflected in the quality of his work.
Among his previous achievements, two short films are particularly distinguished: Confessions of an inspector And Detentionboth released in 2021. These films, exploring deep social and psychological themes, testify to the artistic sensitivity of Ben Hmida. In addition, his documentary Staticwas selected to the prestigious Carthage cinematographic days in the “Horizons of Tunisian cinema” section in 2022, consolidating his reputation as an emerging filmmaker.
We wish continuous success to this young director, and we hope that Wedding panic will find a distributor so that the Tunisian public can find out.
Neïla Driss
