AA / Tunis / Hend Abdessamad
A cinematic week is coming to an end. The curtain fell this Saturday, December 21, 2024 on an intense week of cinema, with the closing ceremony of the Carthage Cinematographic Days (JCC) rewarding the most remarkable films in the eyes of the juries, whether feature films , short films or documentaries.
The prestigious Golden Tanit of the official fiction feature film competition was awarded to “Les enfants rouge”, directed by Lotfi Achour (Tunisia), a film which captivated the jury with the depth of its story and its artistic mastery. The silver Tanit rewarded “Towards an unknown world” by Mahdi Fleifel (Palestine), while the bronze Tanit went to “Demba” by Mamadou Dia (Senegal).
In individual distinctions, Syrian actress Sulaf Fawakherji shone by winning the best actress award for her powerful performance in the film “Salma” (Syria), and Sami Leshâa was awarded the best actor award for her role in “The Disappearance” (Algeria). The prize for best screenplay was awarded to Bode Osiami for his poignant story “The Man is Dead” (Nigeria).
On the technical side, Camille Toupkis was honored for the editing of the film “Aïcha” by Tunisian filmmaker Mehdi M.Barsaoui, and Mostafa El Kashif received the prize for best photography for “The neighboring village of paradise” (Somalia), a work visually striking. The original music of “Arza” (Lebanon), composed by Egyptian actor-composer Hani Adel, was also awarded.
Finally, the prize for the first work “Tahar Cheriaa” (TV5 Monde) honored “Hanami” by Dennis Fernandez (Cape Verde), and a special mention from the jury was given to the Egyptian film “Searching of a release for Monsieur Rambo”, directed by Khaled Mansour.
In the official competition for short fiction films, the prestigious Golden Tanit was awarded to “Then Nothing Will Happen”, directed by Ibrahim Omar (Sudan), a work which captivated the jury with its narrative intensity and its depth. The Silver Tanit rewarded “Softer than the Earth” by Sherif El Bendary (Egypt), a film imbued with sensitivity and poetry. Finally, “Sur le fil”, directed by Sahar Alashi (Tunisia), won the bronze Tanit.
– Documentaries: the raw emotions section
The official competition for feature-length documentaries highlighted powerful and committed perspectives on the world. The Golden Tanit was awarded to “The film is an act of resistance” by Kamal Aljafari (Palestine), a masterful work mixing poetry and politics, which redefines the act of filming as a form of struggle. The Silver Tanit rewarded “Tongo SAA, rising up at night” by Nelson Makengo (Democratic Republic of Congo), a documentary captivating with its bold aesthetic and its vibrantly human story.
In Tunisia, “Matula” by Abdallah Yahya won the bronze Tanit thanks to its subtle and moving approach. A special mention was also awarded to “NDar Saga Waalo” by Ousmane William Mbaye (Senegal), celebrating a sensitive and inspiring exploration of memories and identities.
To showcase gripping and deeply human stories, the official documentary short film competition awarded the Golden Tanit to “The Last Days with Elian” by Mehdi Alhajri (Tunisia), a moving work which captures with great sensitivity the final moments of a chapter of life. The Silver Tanit rewarded Fariha by Badr Youssef (Yemen), a touching documentary which sheds light on often overlooked realities. Finally, the Bronze Tanit was awarded to “Bahati’s Journey into Sex Education” by Saitabao Kaiyari (Kenya), a daring documentary delicately tackling a taboo subject.
– National competition: celebration of Tunisian cinema
The jury of the JCC national competition rewarded three notable works: the prize for best short film was awarded to “Le Sentier de Aïcha” by Selma Hobbi, the prize for best feature documentary honored “Couleur du phosphate” by Ridha Tlili, and finally, the prestigious prize for best film was awarded to “Qantra” (Bridge), directed by Walid Mattar, with Mohamed Amine Hamzaoui.
The Audience Award is undoubtedly one of the most coveted and difficult distinctions to obtain, reflecting not only the quality of the film, but also the way in which it deeply touches everyone, moviegoers and ordinary spectators alike. In the fiction short film category, “In the waiting room” by Moatasem Taha (Palestine) captivated an audience sensitive to the emotional depth of the film. For the fiction feature films “Salma” by Joud Saïd (Syria) and “Les enfants rouge” by Lotfi Achour (Tunisia), tied, seduced with their poignant narration. The prize for best film for emerging cinema was awarded to “The Curse” by Bouthayna Aloulou (Tunisia).
The JCC also paid tribute to the great Tunisian actor Fethi Haddaoui, who died on December 12.
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