Last night, during the closing ceremony of the 8th El Gouna Film Festival, the Tunisian feature Where the Wind Comes From, directed by Amel Guellaty, won the El Gouna Star for Best Arab Narrative Film.
The award honors Guellaty’s first feature film, produced by Asma Chiboub for Yol Film (Tunisia) and Karim Aïtouna for Haut les Mains Productions (France), in coproduction with the Doha Film Institute (Qatar). The 100-minute film stars Eya Bellagha and Slim Baccar in the leading roles.
Premiered in January 2025 at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, Where the Wind Comes From went on to screen at several international festivals, including Rotterdam and Valletta, where it won the Golden Bee Award for Best Feature and the Best Actress Award for Eya Bellagha. Its selection in El Gouna’s Arab Narrative Competition further consolidated the film’s growing recognition across the region.
The story follows two young Tunisians, Alyssa (19) and Mehdi (23), who leave Tunis to travel to Djerba and take part in a drawing contest. Their journey becomes a way to question their own sense of freedom, belonging, and direction in life. Set mostly on the roads of southern Tunisia, the film examines the aspirations and inner conflicts of contemporary Tunisian youth.
Where the Wind Comes From adopts a restrained and grounded tone, rooted in present-day Tunisian reality, while allowing moments of stillness and reflection. Written and directed by Guellaty, it extends the thematic thread of her earlier short films, focusing on youth, self-discovery, and the tension between individuality and social expectations.
With this El Gouna Star, the film joins the list of Arab works recognized by the festival since its inception, reaffirming Tunisia’s continuing presence on the regional cinematic landscape.
Neïla Driss
