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"Mustafa Z" - Feedback from India

29. June 2019
"Innovative theme - Watched this movie at Tunisian Film Festival jointly organized by Aashay Film Club, NFAI & FFSI at National Film Archives auditorium Pune.

Apart from crisp editing and spick-and-span dialogues, the true brilliance of this movie lies in its innovative theme. The film portrays twenty four hours in the life of an ordinary citizen, Mustfa, who is run down by the continuing dysfunctional family life, indifferent social attitude, flaws in the governing system and apathy of the Govt. In a moment of an awareness, his pent up frustration finally erupts and he revolts against family, society and the system since Tunisian citizen, who dreamed of a better life as a result of the revolution, are is still facing a system where the application of the law is always wrong and arbitrary. (...)

Superbly supported by a strong performance from the lead actor, Abdelmonem Chouayet, the director, Nidhal Chatta, brilliantly portrays number of contemporary evils of Tunisian society in this satirical tragic-comedy.

A must watch movie. My rating: 9 out of 10

Ram Tayade (Deshmukh)" for IMDb - Mustafa Z

Press: The Times of India

Tunisian Film Fest to begin today
TNN, June 17, 2019

Thrissur: A two-day festival of Tunisian films will begin here on Monday. Six fiction films will be screened at the Kerala Sahithya Akademi Hall as part of the festival. Thrissur Chalachithra Kendram is organizing the festival in collaboration with the Federation of the Film Societies of India (FFSI) and Tunisian Embassy in India.
Tunisian cinema is today recognized as one of the most liberal, imaginative and prize-winning cinemas of the Arab world. The 2011 revolution or the Jasmine Revolution significantly altered the course of Tunisian cinema, giving a boost to the production of documentaries as filmmakers enjoy a much freer environment. Following the revolution, Tunisian cinema experienced a surge in the number of documentaries made compared to fictional films.

The industry has rebounded since the Jasmine Revolution. A dozen feature films are now made each year and new cinemas are opening up. From just a handful cinemas in 2012, the country now has around 15, said a release issued here on Sunday. "Porto Farina" directed by Ibrahim Letaief , "Mustafa Z", directed by Nidhal Chatta, "Shattered Waves" by Habib Mestiri, "Whispering Sands" by Nacer Khmir, "Visit" (El Ziara) by Nawfel Saheb Ettabaa, and "Sweet Smell of Spring" directed by Ferid Boughedi are the films to be screened as part of the festival. ...read more

Tunisian Film Festival in India

A two-day Tunisian Film Festival held here attracted a huge crowd
Imphal, May 27, 2019 (UNI)

The Tunisian Film Festival in Imphal concluded last night. Film lovers were able to see high-level contemporary movies from Tunisia over the last two days. The organisers were also planning to popularise the traditional way of watching films in movie theatres.
Film Society of Manipur and Manipur Film Development Society are planning to organize monthly film screenings with interaction session on every third Saturday to promote good films in Manipur according to the President of the Society, Meghachandra Kongbam.

The Federation of Film Societies of India, Eastern Region in collaboration with the Film Society of Manipur organized the Tunisian Film Festival with the support of Tunisia Embassy in New Delhi and Manipur State Film Development Society on May 25 and 26 at the main auditorium of Manipur State Film Development Society.

The Commissioner (Art & Culture), Manipur M. Lashmikumar Singh who inaugurated the festival appreciated the venture of the Film Society of Manipur in collaboration with the Federation of Film Societies of India for organizing such meaningful film festivals towards the growth of good film movement in Manipur. National Awardee film critic Meghachandra Kongbam, the President of Film Society of Manipur enlightened the audience about the sociopolitical conditions of Tunisia and eminent filmmaker Haobam Paban Kumar, Secretary of Film Society of Manipur talked about the Tunisian Cinema before the screening of the films.

The festival had a unique flavour when eminent personalities from the Critics Forum, Manipur shared the space of the interaction session conducted after a screening of every film. Renown art critic Dr N. Tombi Singh, Advisor of Critics Forum initiated the interactive session on the first film- Porto Farina, Sahitya Akademi awardee Yumlembam Ibomcha on the second film- Mustafa Z and Dr Lamabam Gojendro, President of Critics Forum, Manipur on the third film- Shattered Waves. ...read more

Tunisian Film Festival attracts large number of visitors

27.May.2019
" “Mustafa Z” is currently screened in India as part of the “Tunisian Film Festival 2019”, jointly organised by the Federation of Film Societies of India, Film Society of Manipur with the support of the Tunisian Embassy in New Delhi and the Manipur State Film Development Society.

The Federation of Film Societies of India is organizing the Tunisian Film Festival at different cities of the country to propagate the film culture of Tunisia."

After successfully organised in Kolkata (9-11 May), Hyderabad (16-19 May), Baharampur (19-21 May) and Imphal (25-26 May) it's now in Delhi (6-8 June). Next venues- Trissur (17-18 June), Pune (27-28 June)...... (others coming up soon)!"

Mustafa Z

January 2018 - January 2019
Mustafa Z ou la loi de l’emmerdement maximum

Mustafa Z (Murphy’s Law) : "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong... at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way"

Mustafa, a 44 year old Tunisian, is preparing for a day and night out of the ordinary on the eve of the second round of free presidential elections in 2014 in Tunisia. His marriage is on the rocks as he lives with constant criticism about his lack of ambition and unassuming character from his wife, Farah, yet his nightmare is just about to begin!

Whilst getting ready in the bathroom, one of his teeth falls out.Then on the school run, Malek, his teenage son, insults him with scathing remarks. Next his work day begins with his instant dismissal : he will never again present the news on the radio!

He seeks calm by shutting himself at home where he falls asleep. On waking he notes with dismay that there is blood in his urine but no time to angst as he must rush to pick up Malek to take him to his after school classes. He then suddenly runs out of fuel and has to abandon his car in search of petrol. On his return he discovers that his car is missing: it is about to be impounded ! He tries in vain to bribe municipal officials, exasperated in the face of adversity, he attempts one last gesture of rebellion and locks himself in the car only to be towed away to the pound!

Meanwhile onlookers film the scene and immediately post events on social media unbeknown to Mustafa. This triggers a chain reaction that foreshadows the expectations and the mindset of Tunisians at the dawn of the presidential elections. The night ahead unfurls just as unexpectedly as the day had for Mustafa ! His absurd misadventure turns him into a reluctant hero, a tiny grain of sand in the increasingly fragile democratic Tunisian cog. Little by little he regains his dignity and self-esteem and who knows perhaps the start of a new life… (credit: Liz WORRALL )

Awards: Best Actor Award, Carthage Film Festival 2017/ Best Film & Best Actor Awards, Maghreb Film Festival OUJDA 2018/ Best Film Kilimandjaro Award, Toulouse 2018/ Best Actor Award & Special Jury Prize, Alexandria 2018/ Best Actor Award, Maghreb Film Festival Haarlem 2018/ Golden Sotigui & Best African Actor, Ouagadougou 2018/ Audience Award, Ciné-Croisette Cannes 2018 / Best Political Film, Jaïpur 2019

Festivals: Festival de cinéma méditerranéen de Bruxelles 2018 / Festival Cinémas du Sud, Institut Lumière Lyon, 2018 / Festival Cinéalma du Film Méditerranéen, Carros 2018 / Fenêtres sur le Cinéma Tunisien, UNESCO Paris, 2018 / 4th Arab Film Festival Zurich 2018 / 13e édition du Festival Cinémas d’Afrique Lausanne 2018 / Tunisian Film Festival Imphal 2019

Press-Review:

Date of shoot: July 2016 Date of release: 2017

ZERO !

01. May 2017
A father and his son leave in quest of Zero. An initiatory quest for a most weird figure. Indeed, Zero fascinates as much as it worries and disturbs. Invented by the Indians, launched by the Arabs, Zero set out for the Western world which showed some reluctance to adopt it. From Delhi to Tachkent, from Baghdad to Alexandria, from Kairouan to Carthage, Zero did not content itself with the East to exist, cross the Mediterranean and transform the world.

The entire world is indebted to Islamic science for transmitting Zero and consequently Arabic figures, but also for inventing decimals and algebra. More still than China and India, Islam approached modern experimentation. The Islamic mathematicians collected a large mass of observations, making use of Greek and Persian sources and also refining the Ptolemaic parameters. They developed optics and designed planetary models that were confirmed by the research work of Copernicus.

This documentary series plunges us right into the heart of Mediterranean and Eastern ways of thought and highlights the scientific approach in Islam. “ZERO !” retraces the itinerary of the Zero figure while at the same time enlightening the shared history of civilizations.

Claudine RABAA
Christian SERANOT

Date of shoot: November 2013
Date of release: February 2017

Testimonial
"Through this unique film, Nidhal CHATTA tries to introduce us to the societies that explored new concepts, talked about eternity of time, about infinity of space and many more new ideas disregarding the dogmas that were prevalent at the time… For once, Nidhal CHATTA makes the subject of mathematics and all the zeros, decimals and number tables that nagged us so much in our younger days a lot more interesting and visually appealing to watch…"

Vikas SWARUP, spokesperson of External Affairs Ministry, Government of India and author of the novel Q & A best known as Slumdog Millionaire, winner of Best Film for the year 2009 at the Academy Awards

Testimonial
"The General History of Africa series that I am making all over Africa and the South by South West crew that I have been working with in Tunisia have been absolutely wonderful and very professional… We had an excellent time working with Nidhal filming the historical sites of Carthage, Kerkouane and Kairouan…"
(Zeinab BADAOUI, Director)

"It has been a really positive experience and a very good week shooting in Tunisia. The team here has been fantastically so helpful. First of all technically, it couldn’t have been better…It was a very pleasant and professional crew we’ve worked with… They’ve physically gone out for locations to set up for our filming. The communication has been fantastic in terms of coordinating permits, transport and filming in the different locations… We went to the best places we wanted to see and we got some amazing footage… The atmosphere on the set was totally relaxed and I felt safe and secure all week…"
(Bridget OSBORNE, Senior Producer/ Lucy DOGGETT, Assistant Producer)

The General History of Africa

01. May 2016
BBC journalist and producer Zeinab Badawi talks about her work, her beliefs and her commitment to making the General History of Africa, a series of 6 documentaries that she intends to give for free to African states TV stations, colleges and universities.

Zeineb stresses that this project is by far the most interesting and valuable project she ever been involved in. She also declared : « The General History of Africa is a legacy project and a unique project because never before in the history of broadcasting, have we had a systematic look from prehistory to the modern era of Africa’s history told, I hope, in a compelling way, particularly targeting young people and particularly targeting Africans… »

Date of shoot: May 2016
Date of release: 2017

NO MAN'S LOVE

Koul Trab

20. November 2016
South by South-West is behind the much-anticipated « No Man's Love » from Tunisian director Nidhal CHATTA, a co-production between Mirage Films (Tunis), Black & White Films (Paris) and Lichtfilm (Köln) in collaboration with Terry FORRESTAL, stunt coordinator and second unit director in tandem with Mike VALENTINE, United Kingdom’s premier underwater photographer.

The story of “No Man's Love” lures us into the interior world of protagonist Akim, his suffering and alienation. Akim is a young scuba diver who lives together with his older, more austere, brother Issa in an isolated lighthouse on the Tunisian coastline. Tormented by his sister's recent suicide and frustrated by Issa's strictly regimented lifestyle, Akim leaves to accept an offer from a local Mafia boss to dive into a Roman water tank deep for crates containing gold in the Tunisian desert. Haunting images of his sister plunging into the depths of the Mediterranean Sea hinder Akim's experience of coming to terms with his great loss. In search of freedom and wary of destiny, between the glistening heat of the desert and the enveloping depths of the sea, Akim arrives elsewhere…

"A young man, looking for orientation in his life: Hakim (Lotfi ABDELLI) is a scuba diver, living in an old lighthouse with his brother, the very strict and orderly Issa, somewhere in the Tunisian south. Having just lost his sister Leila through suicide, Hakim's world seems to be breaking apart, leaving him behind with a profound feeling of loss and guilt for not having been able to prevent his sister's death.

With his first feature film, Nidhal CHATTA presents a beautifully shot road movie about a young man's quest for identity in a no man's land between the ocean and the desert, both of these territories evoking death. Trying to come to terms with his life, Hakim is haunted by images of his sister floating in the depths of the sea. Amazing underwater shots intrude into his interior world, a world where reality and imagination, past and present, the here and now and the hereafter are not clearly separated any more, and where images turn into a monochrome blue, color of longing, of melancholy, grief and loss. In a first person voice over narration, a deep reflection on Hakim's state of mind, we learn about his feelings, which openly contradict his violent and aggressive attitude towards his surrounding.

“No Man's Love” is like a deep breath of fresh air: only rarely in the last few years has a Tunisian film taken such a new, undisguised look on its protagonists, on a young generation in crisis, looking for freedom, for a sense in life, for a reason to exist, to live and to love. Being completely free of false exotic embellishment or ornamentation, “Under the Sea of Sand” speaks of marginalized, alienated beings, living at the edges of society, struggling with tradition and destiny, looking for orientation in a world that is not always their own, where love only exists for a short period of time and, in the here and now, is not made to last. The poetry of its tone and its photography, its compelling actors and the newness of its style turn this work into one of the rare diamonds in recent Tunisian cinema."

Sarah Mersch
Africiné
www.africine.org

Date of release: November 2016

Testimonial

"I met Nidhal in 1994 on « Between the Lines III » the leading BBC series. I was the stunt and action coordinator on the project and he was the Tunisian based line producer. We instantly became friends and over the years a close professional and personal relationship developed.

In 1999 I was back in Tunisia to supervise the underwater scenes of his first feature film « No Man's Love » shot in the wild cold waters of El Haouaria, north of off the north coast the Tunisian coast. It was an amazing challenge and a great experience for our British crew to work on this low budget independent film. Thanks to the determination of Nidhal and the talent of Mike VALENTINE, we took up the challenge and ended up with stunning and haunting underwater footage…

I took part in some of the most famous Hollywood blockbusters: Indiana Jones, Superman, Braveheart, Brazil, and Titanic but this experience with Nidhal was one of the most outstanding and rewarding of my career…"

(Terry FORRESTAL, Stunt and Action Coordinator)

MAMIE NOVA

25. October 2016
Mamie Nova has launched its ad campaign in Tunisia after 12 years to reintroduce its products in North Africa.

Two TV ads and five web ads were produced in order to explain why Mamie Nova - a major French brand - is back in Tunisia and what it means to the local audience.

Nidhal CHATTA said: " As a director, this shoot was quite challenging. I loved the web and TV concepts developed by the agency and I really enjoyed directing these ads".

Brand: Mamie Nova
Director: Nidhal CHATTA
Director of Photography: Joël LABAT
Client: ELBENE
Agency: TBWA/ POINTCARRE
Production: South by South-West

Date of shoot : October 16, 17, 18 2016
Date of release: October 24 2016

Whispering Sands

10. January 2016
Award winning and acclaimed director Nacer KHEMIR shot « Whispering Sands » his last feature early on December 2015. South by South West provided line production support to this beautiful film.

Nacer’s movie was indeed very demanding in terms of locations, logistics and production facilities. We filmed in the Tunisian South, mainly in the ancient desert cities of Nefta and Tozeur including Tamerza waterfall, Chott Djerid, the largest salt lake in North Africa and Sidi Bou Helal canyon which was also one of the main settings of Spielberg’s « Raiders of the Lost Ark »

Nacer achieved huge international success with his firts feature
« Wanderers of the Desert » and more recently with « Bab Aziz ».

Date of shoot : December 2015
Date of release: 2017