This Wednesday, October 31, Mr.nejib Ayed, director general of Carthage cinematographic days (JCC)Ms. Gabriele Reiter, director of Tunis office of the World Organization against Torture (OMCT) and M.Sofiene Mezghich, spokesperson for Prisons and rehabilitationheld a press conference to present the 4th edition of the JCC of the Prisons which will take place from November 4 to 9, 2018.
Ms. Gabrielle Reiter said she was very proud of the success of the JCCs of prisons. She recalled that a few years ago, it was almost unimaginable to think of taking the JCC in the prisons, but it has already been done for four years and even successfully. According to her, projecting films and leading debates between the film teams and the prisoners, with the moderation of psychologists, is a successful experience which was beneficial for prisoners and even for penitentiary staff. For her, although prisoners are deprived of their freedom, they must not be helpless in their other rights, especially the right to culture. It was therefore necessary to bring cultural life into closed places such as prisons.
M.Sofiene Mezghich insisted on the benefits of JCC on prisoners. Through the cinema, they feel that they have kept their humanity, that they have not been desocialized and that they always have a link with the outside world. Furthermore, he thinks that it is also important to open them on other civilizations, teach them tolerance, help them find their citizenship and improve their relations with penitentiary staff, who should no longer be considered a simple jailer.
And four years later, it is felt that there is a clear improvement in the moral health of prisoners and that mutual respect and confidence between prisoners and staff are building themselves, even if very slowly.
He added that in this same spirit, prisoners created a musical group and even gave a concert to the City of Culture. Another group also created a theatrical troop.
He also announced that to stay in continuity and that the projections of the JCCs are not a simple punctual operation, it has been decided that there will be projections of film in prisons throughout the year.
M.Mezghich said it is the management of each prison that selects the prisoners who will attend the debates projections. No prisoner is excluded in advance, but are chosen those who seem most open to others and who especially respect the rules imposed.
Mr.Nejib Ayed thanked the OMCT and the Directorate of Prisons for their collaboration and Mr. Brahim Letaief, also present at this conference, for having initiated this project in 2015. He insisted that it was the success of this 2015 experience and the favorable echo she had, who facilitated the work of the following years.
He then announced that for this edition, there will be projections in five prisons and in a minor correction house. The choice of films is made jointly by the 3 Partners of the PRISTS JCCs.
The opening of the JCCs of the prisons will be will be large this year, in the presence of 500 prisoners instead of 150 in previous years. In addition to this, all projections will be broadcast thanks to a TV network in all prisons in the country so that no prisoner feels excluded.
Program :
- Sunday, November 4 at 10 am: Look at me from Néjib Belkadhi (Tunisia) to Mornaguia;
- Monday November 5 at 11 am: Amal from Mohamed Siam (Egypt) to Borj Erroumi;
- Tuesday, November 6 at 7 p.m.: Until the end of time from Yasmine Chouikh (Algeria) to Mornag;
- Wednesday November 7 at 12 noon: Ghezala from Hajer Nefzi (Tunisia) to Messaidine;
- Thursday November 8 at 6.30pm: Tunisian short films (Left/right, Sheikh’s watermelons, BrotherHOOD) to Sidi Elhani;
- Friday November 9 at 12:30 p.m.: The normal route From Erige Sehiri (Tunisia) to Mahdia.
We note that unfortunately, there is no JCC in the prison for women, but it is simply because there is no projection room. But they will see the films thanks to TV transmission. On the other hand at Messaidine prison, there will be women among the prisoners.
Mr. Brahim Eltaief, meanwhile, thanked the journalists. According to him the success of this initiative returns to them largely, since they helped make it known to everyone. He added that the repercussions were very important for the fame of this festival, which saw its reinforced militant side.
It should be noted that in 2015, only the Egyptian actor Khaled Abol Naga had agreed to participate in this new project with the film Out of Ordinary DE Daoud Abdel Sayed, in which he played the main role. Subsequently, he had talked about it in various media by emphasizing how interesting and enriching this experience had been, which encouraged other artists to follow the same path in the following years.
To conclude, Ms. Gabrielle Reiter insisted that he was very courageous on the part of the prison administration to open its doors and allow exchanges with the prisoners, that she hopes that this will continue and that other similar projects will be born.
Neïla Driss
Read on the same subject:
– Carthage 2018 Cartham Cinematographic Days in Figures
– JCC 2018 – Nine Tunisian films in official competition
– JCC 2018 – projects selected as part of Chabaka 2018
– The JCC, a festival created by moviegoers for moviegoers
– JCC 2018 – The festival will take place as planned
– JCC 2018 – A poster in tribute to Youssef Chahine.
