The Carthage Film Festival has never ceased to make innovative and out of the box moves throughout the years. For its 33rd edition, the festival announces, for the first time in its long running history, a new section called « CRITICS WEEK », dedicated to young filmmakers from around the globe, to share with the public their first or second long features. The festival proves itself, once again, open to a wide spectrum of cinematic experiences, all while staying true to its first and essential Afro-Arabic orientation. After more than a half a century, it was vital for the festival to break away from the conventional territories and open the door for more cinematic approaches and foreign filming experiences.
Seven recent feature films were chosen to compete in this fresh new section, and to be reviewed by an International Jury composed of renowned film critics : Kamal Ramzi from Egypt, Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi from Italy, Thierno Ibrahima Dia from Senegal, headed by Jury President, Serge Toubiana from France.
Sensational films from around the globe, offering new perspectives and different cinematic language that crosses the borders between continents compete for the new-born award which are : « 1976 », directed by Manuella Martelli, from Chili. « NOS CEREMONIES », by Simon Rieth, from France. « LA TANA », by Beatrice Baldacci, from Italy. « LA VIE ME VA BIEN », by Al Hadi Ulad Mohamed, from Morocco. « LE VOYAGE DE TALIA », by Christophe Rolin, from Senegal. « DOS ESTACIONES », by Juan Pablo Gonzales, from Mexico. The section opened today at Omar El Khelifi theater with the 2021 film « BLUE MOON » from Romania, directed by Alina Grigore. The film follows a young woman, who struggles to receive a higher education and escape her dysfunctional family. Thus, an ambiguous sexual experience with an artist will spur her intention to fight the family’s violence. In a January 2021 interview for the Romanian culturaladuba.ro website, director Alina Grigore said she failed to get funding from the Romanian Film Center (abbreviated as CNC), after explaining to them the way she had worked in the film, where she retained the entire story, even the background sounds. She remembers one of the comments of CNC members from 2019, that “[the film] is a story about women, and women aren’t a topic of national or international interest”. Yet, here it is today, in the « CRITICS WEEK », as part of a festival that never shies away from important topics, always supportive of women filmmakers and aware of their importance as a force to be reckoned with.
