Special Screening of "Jad" at the Tunis Opera Theater
A special screening of "Jad", the first feature film by Jamil Najjar (winner of the Audience Award at the 2025 Annaba International Film Festival), was held at the Tunis Opera Theater. The event drew a large crowd, and the film is currently playing in theaters. During the presentation, Jamil Najjar announced that the proceeds from the film will be donated to public hospitals.
A Glimpse into Tunisia's Failing Healthcare System
Produced by the new production company "Ameur production" and distributed by the Goubantini group, "Jad" plunges the viewer into a social drama that exposes the flaws of Tunisia's healthcare system, particularly in public hospitals. The film highlights the overcrowding of emergency rooms, lack of staff, poor hygiene, and tensions between healthcare providers and patients. In this chaotic environment, death becomes trivialized and reduced to a mere observation.
A Story Inspired by Real Events
The story follows Ahmed (played by Mohamed Mrad), whose brother Nour was seriously injured in a car accident and taken to the emergency room. Ahmed and his parents must confront the harsh reality of the healthcare system. The film is inspired by a real event experienced by the producer, who was affected by the death of his son due to negligence in a hospital. The producer created a production company to make the film as a tribute to his son and to denounce the corruption and shortcomings of the healthcare system.
A Critique of Corruption and Negligence
The film tells the story of two families: one wealthy, whose son is a victim of a car accident, and another poor family, whose son, a construction worker, is injured on the job. Moncef (played by Abdelkarim Bennani), a corrupt and exploitative hospital staff member, takes advantage of these families in their vulnerable state to extort money from them, with the complicity of nurses and even the pharmacist. The only exception is the surgeon (played by Mohamed Ali Ben Jemaâ), who is portrayed as a decent and compassionate character.
A Scathing Portrait of Public Hospitals
The film presents a bleak and desperate picture of the situation in Tunisia's public hospitals, where patients are often treated with indifference and neglect. The hospital is depicted as a hostile and brutal environment, where corruption and exploitation thrive. While the film's realism is striking, it sometimes relies too heavily on emotional manipulation, and the subject matter remains superficial. The birth of Ahmed's child serves as a warning, and the outcome of the story is predictable.
A Flawed but Necessary Film
Despite its flaws, the film deserves credit for denouncing the corruption and shortcomings of the healthcare system. However, the character development is sometimes lacking, and the script could be more nuanced and engaging. The actors, including Amel Hedhili, Souhir Ben Amara, Fathi M'selmani, Sondes Belhassen, Yasmine Dimassi, Saoussen Maâlej, Jamel Sassi, Mohamed Ali Ben Jemaâ, and Abdelkarim Bennani, deliver convincing performances, but the linear approach adopted by the director and screenwriter makes the film feel more like a TV movie.
