The 35th Carthage film festival in Tunisia opened

For this edition which runs until December 21, 56 films are competing in the official competition including 15 feature-length fiction films, 13 feature-length documentaries and 17 short fiction films.

The 35th edition of the Carthage Cinematographic Days (JCC), a prestigious pan-African and pan-Arab festival, opened on Saturday in Tunis and will see the screening of more than 200 films from around twenty Arab and African countries.

After a ceremony at the Cité de la Culture in the center of Tunis, two films are scheduled for the opening: the restored copy of the feature-length documentary “The Freedom Giver” by Iraqi Kays Al-Zubaidi , who died on December 1, and the short film “Upshot” by Palestinian Maha Haj.

This edition runs until December 21, with 56 films in competition including 15 fiction feature films, 13 documentaries and 17 fiction short films. Artistic director Lamia Belkaied Guiga welcomed “richness and quality“of programming.

The films in competition have been selected “while respecting the identity of this festival“dedicated to committed works and who wants to be”the voice of just causes and humanist values“, she noted during the presentation of the Festival.

Due to the war in the Gaza Strip, which broke out in October 2023, last year’s festival was canceled.”in solidarity with the Palestinian people and taking into account the critical humanitarian situation“in this territory. The 35th edition also wanted to place the “Palestine” “at the heart of the JCC“, according to the organizers, with a special program of Palestinian works and a tribute to filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad.

Tunisian films will participate massively in the JCC with 99 works including four feature films participating in the official competition including Borj Roumi by director Moncef Dhouib which is inspired by a famous prison in Tunisia where opponents of the autocrats Habib Bourguiba and Zine el Abidine Ben Ali were tortured, some to the point of death.

The organizers decided to create a national competition “to highlight the dynamism of the cinema scene in Tunisia“, indicated while presenting the festival, the honorary president of this session, Férid Boughedir, director in particular of the film “Halfaouine, the child of the terraces“, released in 1990 and remembered for its daring scenes.

The festival will also pay tribute to other cinematographic figures such as the Algerian Merzak Allouache, the Iranian Mohsen Makhmalbaf and the Senegalese Ababacar Samb Makharam.