The Tunisian soap opera “Faltujah” writes and directed by Sawsan El Jomni, with a cast made up of actors such as Mohamed Ali Ben Jemaa, Naïma El Jeni, Rim Riahi, Sarra El Tounsi, Mohamed Mrad, Nidhal Al Saadi, Chekrah Rammah, Sadok Halwes, Mohamed Dahech, Houssem Sahli and a group of young actors Amateurs quickly became the subject of all discussions during this Ramadan, as soon as his first episode was broadcast, arousing criticism, calls for censorship and even a complaint with the court. But this controversy ultimately benefited the soap opera which fueled all curiosities, both in Tunisia and abroad.
For my part, I did not intend to look at it because for 2/3 years, I decided to boycott Tunisian soap operas who speak of drug addicts and delinquents, hoping to see one day Tunisian soap operas a little more cheerful and positive. However, following the controversy, I let myself be tempted by the first episode and I did not regret it at all. To my surprise, I found that contrary to what he had been criticized for, Needed was a good soap opera to show parents and young people, because he warns against bad behavior, such as delinquency and drug use, and shines the spotlight on certain errors that parents should not make in the education of their children.
The soap opera follows a group of students from the same high school as well as their parents, depicting the different stories of each student and their families. They are observed in their school and family environment, allowing us to understand their personality. The soap opera also highlights parental errors by showing the different ways of educating children, highlighting the faults in education as well as the flaws that can result from them. The character of Nouh and his police father, who mistreats him, illustrate the harmful consequences of abusive parental behavior. Nouh’s dad, reproducing a behavior similar to that he has with criminals, thinks that firmness, even violent, will make his son a mature man. Hédi, meanwhile, has a loving but very permissive father, who gives him whatever he wants, making him an irresponsible teenager. Maram, whose father is absent, is forced to take responsibility for the management of the house, when she is not yet age for this. In addition, she feels neglected, without any attention from her father. Finally, Rahma seems balanced and responsible, but the fairly conservative convictions of her parents prevent her from revealing that she was raped. She fears the reaction of her parents, who misunderstood her when she was found after months of disappearance. Thinking that she left with a man, they ignored her distress and sought to marry her quickly to save family honor. The character of Kader, drug dealer, thug and delinquent, is an example of how children can go wrong when neglected or abandoned. Having no family, he had to fend for himself and took the wrong way, far from any education and any parental guidance.
Needed Also highlights the difficulties encountered by students and teaching staff in public schools in Tunisia. We see, as the new professor of mathematics, teachers passionate about their work, devoted to their students and their success, despite difficult working conditions and a low salary. Others, on the other hand, are disillusioned and see in their post only a way to earn money easily, or even to engage in illegal activities such as the sale of exams or corruption like the general supervisor embodied by Sadok Halwes.
The first episodes presented the characters by highlighting their evil conducts. However, little by little, the soap opera tried to warn the viewers by showing the bad paths that young people could take and the consequences that it could have. The death of Maram following an overdose was a key moment which made it possible to transmit a strong message to young people and parents. It is important to listen to children, to contact them, to empower them and meet their needs. The scenes where the teacher transmits advice to the comrades of the young teenager and where the actor Houssem Sahli plays the role of a repentant father for having been morally absent from her daughter are as many messages that the soap is trying to transmit.
The soap opera Needed offers a critical and poignant look at education in Tunisia, highlighting the obstacles facing students and teachers, but also the determination of some of them to get out of it anyway.
Overall, the actors have delivered good performances, especially Mohamed Ali Ben Jemaa, Naïma El Jeni and Rim Riahi. Most of them managed to embody their characters convincingly, even the young actors who took their first steps in the profession. Their talent and potential are promising, and we can wish them a brilliant and flourishing career in the world of cinema and television.
Needed is a soap opera that deserves to be viewed, especially by young people who could identify with certain characters. It offers an interesting reflection on education and life choices, as well as on the consequences of these choices. In addition, he warns against the dangers of drugs and delinquency. The controversy aroused at the start of dissemination had a major advantage: it aroused a debate on the themes addressed in the series. Which is very important because it pushes viewers to wonder.
The end of the soap opera is well built and shows young people and parents that their actions can have dramatic consequences, thus stressing the importance of listening and communication between generations. In addition, for once for several years, a Tunisian soap opera sanctions bad actions, the thugs not being heroes, quite the contrary.
The credits of the soap opera pay homage to Habib Bourguiba, the former Tunisian president, who said: ” I am optimistic. When we talk about Tunisia after Bourguiba, I say to myself ‘I think I did something solid, which will hold after me’ “. This message can be interpreted as a note of hope, as a call to take matters into hand and to act quickly to reform teaching and take care of young people. For Bourguiba, just after independence, it had been a priority. He rightly believed that the future of a country is based on well -educated and balanced young people.
Overall, Needed is a captivating soap opera that deserves to be watched. However, some improvements could be made, especially in writing the script. For example, the idea of asking Brahim to marry Rahma to avoid criminal proceedings is legally impossible under organic law n ° 2017-58 of August 11, 2017, which aims to eliminate violence against women. In addition, the soap opera presents all mothers as subject to fathers, without any strong figure among them. This representation is regrettable because it does not reflect the reality of all Tunisian women. Despite these shortcomings, it still remains interesting and could even be distributed on popular platforms such as Shahid or even Netflix, by the way!
Neïla Driss
