Tunisia-32nd edition of Carthage Film Festival kicks off, celebrates reunion

Jury, guests from all sides and stars of Tunisia and elsewhere and red carpet were back to celebrate the oldest African festival n which runs this year until November 6, 2021.

The opening ceremony of the first edition of the post-COVID-19 JCC saw the presence of Minister of Cultural Affairs Hayet Guettat Guermazi who, in a statement to the media, said she was very flattered to find again the joy of living through the cinema and to see this beautiful world come to attend this festival, after long periods of interruption and confinement.

While declaring the edition open, the minister stressed that the return of the JCC this year is in a way resuming all the taste of cultural life that we were deprived of these last two years.

Placed under the sign “Dream, Live”, the ceremony hosted in humor by the Tunisian actor, director and producer Nejib Belkadhi was an opportunity for the director of the festival Ridha Béhi to recall that the holding of the 2021 session in exceptional health, economic and social conditions, was a great challenge.

“We all fought not to suspend the festival by ensuring all the health conditions to preserve the health of all; renewing this appointment with more joy, vivacity, innovation and discovery.

The opening ceremony was an opportunity to pay tribute to several men of cinema and critics. Thus, the Golden Tanit in recognition of her artistic career was awarded to the Egyptian actress Nelly Karim.

Two Golden Tanits for criticism were awarded to the Tunisian critic Khemais Khayati and a leading figure of African film criticism, Baba Diop.

The Golden Tanit was given to Sadiq Al-Sabah in consideration for his efforts in television broadcasting.

Other tributes were also paid to technicians whose name only appears in end credits. Tanits were given to Nasreddine Shili (actor and director), Hajer Bouhawala (makeup), Bahri Rahhali (actor), Hassan Tebbi (machinist) and Chekra Rammah (actress).

Members of the government, representatives of the diplomatic corps, film figures, Instagrammers and all the guests were then able to attend the screening of the opening film “Lingui, les liens sacrés” (2021) by Mahamat Saleh Haroun.

The Tchadian director said he was very touched and honored that his film, already presented in competition at the Cannes Film Festival 2021, was chosen as the opening film.

For thirty years he has been making films, the filmmaker was keen to emphasize that beyond this recognition, it is a political gesture since his work deals with the regression of women’s rights, a film that he said does not only concern the status of women in Chad but also in Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria or Latin America.