Netflix Mena recently posted the latest film by Tunisian director Mohamed Ben Attia, Beyond the mountains. This feature film, written and directed by Ben Attia, marks an important turning point in the career of this talented filmmaker, Already praised for his first film Hédi, a wind of freedom/Nhebek hedi (2016), awarded the prize for the best first film at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Beyond the mountains tells the poignant story of Rafik and his son. Rafik, a man of ordinary appearance, seemed to have everything for him. Until his conviction to four years in prison for an access to madness that his entourage fails to explain. When he left, he decides to remove his child and take him to the mountains to reveal his incredible secret: he is convinced that he had the extraordinary gift of flying. Despite his wife’s skepticism and the opposition of his parents-in-law, Rafik shakes up his son’s school routine and takes him far. During their adventure, they meet the road to a shepherd and find refuge in a country house, where events take an unexpected turn.
The film brings together an impressive cast, including Majd Mastoura, Samer Bisharat, Walid Bouchhioua, Salma Zeghidi and Helmi Dridi. Majd Mastoura, who plays the main role, won the money bear for best actor in 2016 for his remarkable interpretation in Hédi, a wind of freedom, also made by Mohamed Ben Attia.
The photograph of the film is signed Frédéric Noirhomme, while the assembly was produced by Lenka Fillnerova. Production is the fruit of a collaboration between several eminent producers, notably Dora Bouchoucha and Lina Chaabane (Nomadis Images), Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne as well as Delphine Tomson (Les Films du River), Nadim Cheikhrouha (Tanit Films), and Giovanni Robbiano and Lorenzo Recalli (010Films).
Beyond the mountains benefited from the support of the Red Sea Fund, winning funding for production and post-production in 2021 and 2022. Mohamed Ben Attia, also an instructor at the Red Sea Lodge, continues to shine on the international scene with this new ambitious project.
Presented for the first time at the Venice Festival, in the “Horizons section“, Beyond the mountains has since been selected at several renowned international festivals, such as the Red Sea Film Festival, the Marrakech International Film Festival and The Luxor African Film Festival where he won two awards: the jury prize (ex æquo) and the prize for best actor for Majd Mastoura, who plays the main role.
The global distribution of the film is provided by Luxbox, while Mad Solutions manages sales for the Arab world.
With this new outing, Mohamed Ben Attia continues his exploration of deeply human themes and captivates the spectators by his unique style and his emotional narration.
Neïla Driss
