Forty Days After His Disappearance, Fadhel Jaziri Continues to Unite
Between a vibrant tribute at the 4th Art Theater, where his prolific work was celebrated for six hours, and a more formal ceremony at the Ibn-Rachiq Cultural Center, the memory of the visionary director, actor, and creator has once again revealed the indelible mark he leaves on the Tunisian cultural scene.
A Tribute to a Legendary Artist
It has been 40 days since Fadhel Jaziri passed away on August 11, 2025, after a long illness. The Ministry of Culture and the Tunisian National Theater organized a tribute at the 4th Art Theater, which lasted for six hours in the presence of his wife, Hédia Ben Ammar Jaziri, his family, his companions, and a large audience who came to pay their respects to the artist who has left a lasting impact on the Tunisian cultural scene with his grand productions.
A Celebration of His Life and Work
The Tunisian National Theater (TNT) spared no effort in organizing this celebration, which it wanted to be worthy of the artist's talent. The event began with a performance of the play "Jranti Laâziza" (To the Violin!), the last work of its author, which reviews Fadhel Jaziri's life and his relationship with his country from independence to the present day, the artistic community, the friends he frequented, and the personalities who marked their era. The play tells the story of a failed violinist and his singer wife who eventually left him to work in one of the Gulf countries.
A Unique and Intimate Piece
For the first time, and unlike his previous creations, Jaziri, who was suffering from illness, directed an intimate piece with few characters and a sober scenography, leaving room for the instruments and actors to express themselves and showcase their talent. This was a "poor" theater where space was limited and lighting was reduced to a minimum.
A Night of Tributes and Performances
After the performance, the evening continued with live excerpts from "Hadhra" with faithful friends Samir Ressaissi, Riadh Sghaier, and Mohamed Ghedira, who accompanied Jaziri for decades, as well as videos of his films and rehearsals with actors, and poignant testimonies from the director of the TNT, Moez M'rabet, the director of the theater and performing arts, Nissaf Ben Hafsia, and his friends, including former Minister of Culture Raouf Basti, Raja Farhat, Raouf Ben Amor, Hamadi Redissi, Ali Mezghani, and Taher Aissa Belarbi.
A Conventionally Formal Tribute
On the other hand, the Tunisian Culture Delegation proposed a less ostentatious and more conventional manifestation to commemorate the death of the artist, whose prolific and multifaceted work reveals his multiple roles as an actor, author, theater director, filmmaker, and draftsman. The tribute took place at the Ibn-Rachiq Cultural Center, where a video was projected, featuring a series of testimonies from professionals who had worked with Jaziri, including Mounir Argui, who was his assistant for several years, and Lamine Nahdi, who played with him in the play "Arab".
A Regrettable Absence of Close Friends and Collaborators
However, the tribute was expedited, and the absence of close friends, collaborators, and hundreds of artists who accompanied Fadhel Jaziri throughout his career was deeply felt. The exhibition of photos presented in the hall of the Cultural Center was not representative of the artist's career, and the illustrations without legends represented moments of rehearsal, portraits, or photos of the film "Traversées" scattered here and there. The visitors who were not aware of the context could not identify the photos and the circumstances in which they were taken. The tribute was a mere formality, similar to the booklet published for the occasion, which featured the same clichés as the exhibition.
