Behind the Mountains
| Behind the Mountains | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Mohamed Ben Attia |
| Screenplay by | Mohamed Ben Attia |
| Starring | Majd Mastoura |
| Cinematography | Frédéric Noirhomme |
| Edited by | Lenka Fillnerova |
| Music by | Olivier Marguerit |
Release date |
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| Language | Arabic |
Behind the Mountains (Arabic: ورا الجبل, romanized: Oura el Jebel, French: Par-delà les montagnes) is a 2023 supernatural drama film written and directed by Mohamed Ben Attia.
The film premiered at the Horizons section of the 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival.
Plot[edit]
 | This article needs a plot summary. (May 2024) |
Cast[edit]
- Majd Mastoura as Rafik
- Walid Bouchhioua as Yassine
- Samer Bisharat as the Shepherd
- Helmi Dridi as Wejdi
- Selma Zeghidi as Najwa
- Wissem Belgharek as Oussama
Production[edit]
The film is an international co-production between Tunisia, Belgium, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.[1] It was co-produced by the Dardenne brothers.[2] It has been described as 'the culmination of an informal trilogy from Mohamed Ben Attia', consisting of director's previous efforts Hedi (2016) and Dear Son (2018).[1]
Release[edit]
The film premiered at the Horizons section of the 80th Venice International Film Festival.[3][4] It was later screened in other festivals, including the BFI London Film Festival,[5] the Red Sea International Film Festival,[6] the Gothenburg Film Festival, the Marrakech International Film Festival[7] and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.[5]
Reception[edit]
According to Screen International critic Lee Marshall the film is 'a striking piece of filmmaking that lingers stubbornly in the mind' and a 'further proof of the current vitality of North African cinema'.[2] Carlos Aguilar from Variety described it as an 'unorthodox, yet fascinating [...] unpredictable oddity of a film'.[8] Libération critic Laura Tuillier referred to it as 'often untidy, messy and bordering on the ridiculous, [...] yet rich in its narrative daring, and in its hot-headed approach'.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Katz, David (8 September 2023). "Review: Behind the Mountains". Cineuropa. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ a b Marshall, Lee (5 September 2023). "'Behind The Mountains': Venice Review". Screen International. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Balaga, Marta (4 September 2023). "Mohamed Ben Attia Believes a Man Can Fly in Venice Film Festival's 'Behind the Mountains'". Variety. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (7 September 2023). "Mohamed Ben Attia delves into mental health with film about a flying man". The National. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ a b Dalton, Ben (4 December 2023). "Venice Horizons title 'Behind The Mountains' scores France distribution deal". Screen International. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Mullally, William (30 November 2023). "Award-winning filmmaker Mohamed Ben Attia discusses 'Behind the Mountains' set to screen at RSIFF". Arab News. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (2 November 2023). "Marrakech To Open with Richard Linklater's 'Hit Man' As Festival Unveils 2023 Line-Up". Deadline. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Aguilar, Carlos (2 December 2023). "'Behind the Mountains' Review: Unpredictable Tunisian Oddity Blends Social Realism With the Ability to Fly". Variety. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Tuillier, Laura (9 April 2024). "«Par-delà les montagnes», père courage en Tunisie". Libération (in French). Retrieved 29 May 2024.
