Fred, a photographer, is in Tunisia to report on the “bezness”. Edged out in the universe where the image is a violation and its representation a taboo, he is Roufa’s protégé. A handsome dark-haired young man, Roufa sells his body. His only dream is to leave Sousse. He is drawn to Europe, like fascinated. His morals and behavior are double. Very permissive with his clients, he is a lot more conservative and repressive with his relatives, especially with Khomsa, his young fiancée. The portrait of a youth faced with the perverse effects of tourism and with the contradictions existing between tradition and modernity, between East and West. –Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
Director, screenwriter, actor and poet, Nouri Bouzid was born in Sfax, Tunisia in 1945. He began filmmaking studies in 1968 at Institut National des Arts du Spectacle et Techniques de Diffusion (INSAS) in Brussels. He graduated in 1972 with a short film, Duel (1972). Returning to Tunisia he worked, from 1972 to 1973 in Tunisian television but was then arrested and jailed for over five years (1973-79) for his involvement with the radical Groupe d’Etude et d’Action Socialiste Tunisian (GEAST). After his release he worked as an assistant director on several foreign films shooting in Tunisia, including Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and The Key to Rebecca (1985) (TV). He also assisted on many Tunisian features as well as working on screenplay adaptations and dialogue for several important Tunisian films in the 90s such as Halfawin ’Usfur Stah (1990) by ‘Ferid Boughedir’.
He made his directorial debut in 1986 with Rih essed (Man of Ashes) which won the top prize at the Carthage Film… read more
