The award ceremony of the section A certain look just ended. After a good suspense, the record was finally disclosed: ⁃ A certain look price :: Lerd (an honest man) by Mohammad Rasoulof (Iran) ⁃ Jury prices: The April daughter by Michel Franco (Mexico) ⁃ Staging price: Taylor Sheridan for the film Wind River (USA) ⁃ Cinema poetry Prize :: Barbara by Mathieu Amalric (France) ⁃ Better interpretation price : Jasmine Trinca for her role in the film Fortunata (Italy)
Throughout the festival duration, we prayed for our Tunisian film Beauty and pack by Kaouther Ben Hania wins the a certain look price. But ultimately, it was not the most important. Whether he wins or no price, the film was already a success. Whether he was selected in official competition in Cannes and he was the subject of as many praise was in itself a pride for the film team and even for all Tunisians.
The film inspired by the true story of Mariem, this young woman who had filed a complaint against three police officers for rape and extortion, was very much and is talked about in Cannes. Indeed, although from a technical point of view, the film has some weaknesses or errors, with a few rare exceptions, all were unanimous to say that these weaknesses had to be ignored or forgiven the film so important in all its other aspects.
And then, as Georges David pointed out of the Jordanian Royal Commission for the film, what are these errors when we see the genius of Kaouther Ben Hania who is played out of genres? In The Challat of Tunisit deals with a fiction in the form of a documentary, in Zaineb doesn’t like snowshe transforms a documentary into fiction, and in this last film she transforms a film into a play !!!
According to him, this way of cutting the film into 9 acts gave even more force about it. This made it possible to insist on the drama of this young woman and her fight. Kaouther by making this choice and by not showing the rape scene, avoided any voyeurism and all superfluous discussions on rape, and forced the spectator to focus on the essential: how to assert the rights of the victim?
Following the screening of the film, the director had been overwhelmed by requests for interviews by foreign journalists. I saw her at the Tunisian pavilion where she gave many of her appointments, respond to various journalists with a smile.
The film was treated to articles in various prestigious magazines, including the Hollywood Reporter and the Screen Daily. He also covered the magazine Les Visens.
Beauty and the pack on the cover of Les Écrans magazine
Beauty and pack was also classified by the Swiss magazine Nzzamsonntag Among the 5 best half-time films in Cannes. The same for the Hollywood Reporter who also ranked it among the best films.
The film also found Distributors for markets American, French, Chinese, Belgian, Switzerland, Swedish, Middle East and Greek.
This feature film gave rise to a lot of discussions among festival -goers. Three recurring themes were discussed:
- Would the director should have mentioned at the end of the film that in reality the police ended up being condemned?
- Would the director have to speak of the important role played by civil society which put itself on the side of Mariem and supported it until the day of the conviction of the culprits?
- Would this film be screened in Tunisia as it is, that is to say without any censorship?
At the first question, a large number of spectators believe that indeed, the director should have added to the end credits that after a long struggle, Mariem, helped by civil society, ended up condemning the culprits to a sentence of 15 years in prison.
Several arguments have been advanced:
- It would have given a better image of Tunisia, and right now Tunisia needs it.
- It would have given more strength to the film and proved that the struggle is not in vain.
- This would have given even more hope to all those who fight for their rights worldwide in general and in Tunisia in particular.
- This would have allowed a tribute to civil society, the role of which was very important.
For those who are opposite, and think that Kaouther Ben Hania was right not to mention the condemnation, the film is more universalistic than the narration of a Tunisian news item. The film is a feminist par excellence and the difficulty of condemning rapists exists in countries around the world, including those who consider themselves developed, as for example in the USA or in certain European countries where women who wish to file a complaint against their rapists are subject to enormous pressures to make them abandon their complaints.
The film, without the mention of the conviction, would then speak to all women around the world to encourage them to fight for their rights.
In fact, according to Mr. Habib Attaia and Mr. Nadim Cheikhrouha, co -producers of the film, the question was discussed many times and had been the subject of several meetings with the director, who had ended up making her choice and deciding.
Mariem Al Ferjani in the role of Mariem in the film La Belle and La Meute.
As for the other arguments, many people think that the director does not have the role of browning the image of Tunisia, but that she does so by the existence of this film. That such a film, which also shows the brutal methods of the police, can see the light of day in Tunisia, and with the very help of the Ministry of the Interior which is thanked in the end credits, and which will be projected in Tunisian rooms, shows that in Tunisia, a certain freedom of expression exists.
In reality, the film was even doubly supported by the Tunisian government, since it received a subsidy, and even received a prize in The Takmil section of the JCC 2016, Now the JCCs are well under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture !!!!
Ossama Abdel Fattah, Egyptian film critic, believed that this film was reserved for the foreign market and would be prohibited from projection in Tunisia. Or there are two versions, one for the foreigner and the other for Tunisia. For him, it is unimaginable that such a film can for example exist in Egypt or in any other Arab country.
Remember how the Egyptian short film The unknown seller of sweet potatoes (The Unknown Sweet Potato Seller) Who tells the story of the Petit Omar, a traveling seller killed by a soldier, was never distributed in Egypt and how during the last edition of the Dubai International Film Festival in December 2016, his screening was canceled 24 hours before the scheduled date when he was supposed to be part of the official competition.
To conclude, I find that everyone is right from their point of view, and precisely the debate is interesting and proves that the film was able to reach the spectators, move them and make them think. This is what is great. Having an in addition a price would have made everyone happy, but the important thing is of course to participate.
Good luck in the film, and let’s cross your fingers for the next festivals!
The national release of this film in Tunisia is scheduled for the month of November 2017, after the JCC.
Neïla Driss
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