After a week of projections, master classes, panels and various other activities, The Nejib Ayed session of Carthage Cinematographic Days (JCC) just ended.
Although the festival took place in very good conditions, the absence of Nejib Ayed who had worked for long months to succeed in this session was felt by everyone with sadness. It is obvious that nobody will never forget it and will above all forget the immense work that he has accomplished at the head of the JCC for almost three years. Above all, he was able to constitute a work team that was able to continue his work and carry out this session which he had prepared. A special tanit was also awarded to this team and was given to the youngest of them.
This year’s record was impatiently awaited, mainly because the competition was very tough several films being very beautiful, and also because several Tunisian films were in competitions in the various sections.
It was during the closing ceremony presented by the Tunisian actor Ahmed Hafiane, who won last year the prize for best actor for his role in the film Fatwa From Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud, Tanit d’or from the 2018 session, that the juries of the various competitions succeeded each other on the stage to announce the winners of each category.
Noura Dream, Directed by Hinde Boujemaa, of which it is the first feature film Fiction, wins the Tanit d’Or and the Best Actress Prize for the talented Hend Sabry.
After a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Canada), Noura Dream traveled from one festival to another: San Sébastian (Spain), El Gouna (Egypt) Or The best actress prize was awarded to Hend Sabry, Namur (Belgium), London (England), Paris and Bordeaux (France) where he won the Grand Prix of the International Competition at the Bordeaux Independent Film Festival, with a special mention for the actor Lotfi Abdelli.
A deserved prize for this very realistic film, which dares to speak of women’s infidelity in our Arab-Muslim countries, not only without emitting any judgment, but on the contrary, affirming that everyone, including women like Noura, has the right to dream of a better life and love. Furthermore, this film also denounces violence, especially marital, whether moral or physical and the implication of the State in conjugal relations by penalizing adultery.
As for Hend Sabry, she knew how to blend perfectly into the personality of Noura and become this worker, sometimes in love, sometimes frightened, with her manners, her approach … It must be said that Hend has accustomed us, for very long years already, to this ability to wife the character she interprets.
Tunisian cinema has had the lion’s share in this list, with seven prizes including a mention of the jury of the first work competition for the film A son – Bik Eneich by Mehdi Barsaoui who had won two prizes at the Venice Mostra: the Interfilm Prize for the best film of the Ecumenical Jury and the Prize for Best Actor for Sami Bouajila in the Orizzonti competition, and the Prix for the Best Film, youth talent section, at the Hamburg Film Festival.
This very beautiful film, well written, which keeps in suspense from start to finish, would have deserved to be awarded a larger price.
Unsurprisingly, the Sudanese film You will die at twenty From Amjad Abu Alala (Sudan) won two awards: Best Script and Tanit d’Or for the best first work of feature film – Tahar Cheriaa Prize. However, Moroccan film Adam by Maryam Touzani, Who been expected among the three best films won only the price for the best assembly and the price of the best image. It’s a shame because he deserved really better and that we have the impression that these two prizes were given as consolation.
The big absent from this list is The Algerian film Papicha of Mounia Meddour who had had a great success with the public.
Complete MP of JCC 2019 – Nejib Ayed session:
Tanits
Fiction feature
- Golden Tanit for the best work of feature film :: Noura Dream of Hinde Boujemaa (Tunisia)
- Silver Tanit for a feature film film :: Atlantic from Mati Diop (Senegal)
- Bronze tanit for a feature film film :: Scales of Shahad Ameen (Saudi Arabia)
Fictionalt
- Golden Tanit for the best short film :: True Story from Amine Lakhnech (Tunisia)
- Silver Tanit for a short film: Charter from Sabry Bouzid (Tunisia).
- Bronze tanit for a short film film :: Mthunzi of Tebogo Malebogo (South Africa)
- Tanit d’Or for the best documentary feature film :: Talking about Trees by Suhaib Gacem El Bari (Sudan)
- Silver Tanit for a documentary feature film film :: For sama de Waad el Khateab and Edououard Watts (Syria)
- Bronze tanit for a film of documentary feature film :: The absence of Fatma Riahi (Tunisia)
- The special mention of the jury for the long documentary filmmaker comes back to No gold for Kalsaka by Michel Zongo (Burkina Faso)
Short documentary films
- Golden Tanit for the best documentary short film :: All Come from Dust From Younes Ben Slimen (Tunisia)
- Silver Tanit for a short documentary film :: Pacific of Angie Obeid (Lebanon)
- Bronze tanit for a short documentary film :: Five Stars of Mame Woury Thioubou (Senegal)
Competition first work of feature film:
- Tanit d’Or for the best 1st work of feature film – TAHARIA TAHARIA PRICE :: You will die at twenty Amjad Abou Alala (Sudan)
Other official prices:
- Prize for the best scenario awarded for a feature film participating in the official competition : in Amjad Abou Alala for You will die at twenty (Sudan)
- Interpretation prize awarded to the best actress of the films participating in the official competition : Hend Sabry for his role in Noura Dream (Tunisia)
- Interpretation prize awarded to the best actor of films participating in the official competition : Elyes Salem in Abu Leila (Algeria)
- Prix for best original music : Fatima Kedaïri for the film Atlantic (Senegal)
- Best image price : Virginie Surdej for the film Adam ( Morocco)
- Best editing price : Julie Naas Pouce The film Adam ( Morocco)
- The TV5 Monde Prize :: Khartoum off Side from Marwa Zein (Sudan)
- The special mention of the jury comes back to A son from Mehdi M Barsaoui (Tunisia)
- The public price Coming back to “Between two brothers” by Joud Said (Syria)
Congratulations to all the winners!
Neïla Driss
