Tunisian cinema was able to reach the final competitions for the Oscar (Fathi Belaid / Getty)
achieved Cinema The Tunisian made concrete steps on the Arab and international levels during the past few years, even the film “The Man Who Sold His Back” by the director Kawthar bin Haniyeh Reached the final competitions for an award Oscar Best International Film, and today Tunisia celebrates the 100th anniversary of adopting this growing industry.
On Wednesday, the Opera Theater in the City of Culture witnessed an influx of prominent faces and names that left their mark on Tunisian cinema to commemorate this occasion, such as director Reda El Behi and director Salma Bakkar, along with a number of actors and technicians, accompanied by Minister of Cultural Affairs Hayat Katat Al-Qarmazi.
The minister said, “The passage of a century since the production of the first Tunisian feature film is an important date for more than one generation in the world of cinema,” noting that the seventh art is not foreign to Tunisia, but rather has a history to be proud of.
During the celebration, the restored version of the movie “Zahra” directed by Albert Samama Al-Shakli was shown, on the same date that it was shown for the first time in 1922. It deals with the story of a girl who loses her parents following the sinking of the boat that was taking them from France to Tunisia, so local residents rescue her, embrace her, and help her in Find her parents.
The Tunisian Minister of Cultural Affairs called on everyone involved in the field of cinema for an open dialogue to assess the reality of Tunisian cinema, stressing the need to support the historical legacy of Tunisian cinema by keeping abreast of the developments witnessed by the seventh art in the Arab world and internationally.
She said, “Celebrating the centenary of cinema will be accompanied by measures that benefit filmmakers, most notably overcoming difficulties and administrative conditions to support the film industry in Tunisia so that it can return to its former glory.”
The national celebration of the centenary of Tunisian cinema will continue for a whole year, while a series of screenings and meetings will be held during the next few days that will bring together researchers, filmmakers and influencers in the cinematic scene.
Tunisian director Mohamed Damak stated, “Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the production of the first Tunisian feature film, directed by Albert Samama Al-Shakli, is a message to neighboring countries that Tunisian cinema is rooted in history.” He added, “This occasion for moviegoers, directors, and producers is an opportunity for meeting and dialogue.”
(Archyde.com)