The 36th Edition of the Carthage Film Festival Kicks Off
The curtain rose last night, Friday, on the 36th edition of the Carthage Film Festival. As every year, the City of Culture in Tunis was the stage for great sequences of emotions and committed speeches.
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony, held at the Tunis Opera Theater, lasted an hour and was broadcast live on the Watania channel and several partner radios. For this edition, which runs until Saturday, December 20, 42 films from 19 countries are competing for the Tanits, including nine Tunisian films divided equally between the feature film, documentary, and short film sections. The lineup also includes other films in parallel sections, such as the Tunisian Film Panorama with 16 works and 8 others for the World Cinema section.
Red Carpet
The most prestigious celebration of the seventh art did not fail to follow the rule. Tunisian and foreign stars paraded in front of a large crowd of journalists, photographers, and cinephiles.
Tribute to Zied Rahbani
The opening evening began with a tribute to the late Zied Rahbani through the projection of an excerpt from the film "Nahla". Released in 1979, this feature film by Algerian director Farouk Beloufa, shot mainly in Beirut, deals with the Lebanese civil war. On his piano, the famous Tunisian artist Omar El Ouaer played two pieces by Zied Rahbani, carried by the enchanting voice of Mariem Laabidi. "Khedhni maak ye hob" and the famous "Bala wala chi" at the end of the ceremony were strongly applauded by the audience.
Master of Ceremonies
The master of ceremonies, Amine Ben Hamza, was in charge of launching this edition. The young journalist and presenter gave a warm and eloquent speech to the public and guests, recalling the main lines of the edition and the focus on Armenia, the Philippines, and Spain this year.
Tribute to Claudia Cardinale
Just after, a moving video retraced the career of legendary artist Claudia Cardinale, who was strongly attached to Tunisia until the end of her days. The rest of the list of tributes was revealed, including Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, Algerian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, Malian director Souleymane Cissé, Beninese filmmaker, critic, and film historian Paulin Vieyra Soumano, Lebanese film critic Walid Chmait, and Tunisian director and theater man Fadhel Jaziri.
Tanit d'Honneur
The Tanit d'Honneur was awarded during this evening to Tunisian producer Abdelaziz Ben Mlouka. Through memorable Tunisian and international works, including the unavoidable "Star Wars", he "marked several generations of filmmakers and contributed to building solid foundations for national film production".
Promotion of Tunisia
A projection on the giant screen promoted Tunisia for film and series shooting. The video featured Tunisian natural and historical sites with testimonials from big names on an international scale who have been there, including Antonio Banderas, Robert Watts, producer of Indiana Jones and Star Wars, and even some scenes from the series Moawiya broadcast during the last Ramadan.
Jury Presentation
The master of ceremonies also presented the jury of the different categories, responsible for distinguishing the most remarkable productions among the competing films.
Opening Speech
The president of this edition, Mr. Mohamed Tarek Ben Chaabane, presented a concise opening speech in Tunisian dialect towards the end. It would have been preferable to provide a translation for foreign guests.
Premiere of "Palestine 36"
The evening continued with the Tunisian premiere of "Palestine 36" in the presence of the film team. This feature film, signed by Anne-Marie Jacir, dates back to 1936 when the villages of Mandatory Palestine rose up against British colonization, in parallel with the influx of Jewish immigrants fleeing anti-Semitism in Europe.
Ticket Information
Note that all films in the program of this edition can be reserved at the box office on site and online with a single tariff of 6 dinars.
