The Party Film Sales has signed several territory deals for Mehdi M. Barsaoui’s “Aïcha” ahead of its world premiere in the “Horizons” section of the Venice Film Festival. diversity presents its trailer here.
Buyers include Cineart for the Benelux, La Aventure Audiovisual for Spain, Discovery for the former Yugoslavia, Jour2fête for France, I Wonder for Italy and Hakke Distribution for Tunisia. Cinewaves has acquired the theatrical rights for the Middle East and North Africa, and Sunnyland Film, a member of the ART Group, has acquired the digital distribution rights for the Middle East and North Africa.
The film follows Aya, who is in her late twenties. She feels trapped in her life with her parents in southern Tunisia and sees no prospect of change. One day, the minivan she uses to commute between her city and the hotel where she works crashes and she is the only survivor. When she realises that this could be her chance for a new start, she flees to Tunis under a new identity. But everything is soon in danger when she becomes the main witness to a police error.
In a statement, the director says: “The film delves into the lives of Tunisian youth whose dreams are all too often thwarted. It is also a film about new beginnings and second chances and the complex pressures faced by Tunisian society, especially women. ‘Aïcha’ portrays the search for freedom and the desire to live life to the fullest – a paradox in which true freedom for the protagonist can only be achieved through her death.
“In her life, Aïcha encounters numerous obstacles: family authority, subservience, misogyny, sexism – and more generally the position of women in society. Above all, she is confronted with the corruption and oppression of the police, their omnipresence and omnipotence over the population.”
The cast is led by Fatma Sfar, Nidhal Saadi, Yasmine Dimassi and Hela Ayed.
The producers are Habib Attia for Cinetelefilms and Marc Irmer for Dolce Vita Films. The co-producers are Chantal Fischer, Flaminio Zadra, Antoine Khalife and Faisal Baltyuor.
Barsaoui’s first feature film, “A Son,” had its world premiere in the Horizons section of the 2019 Venice Film Festival, where it won the Best Actor award for Sami Bouajila. It was distributed in 20 countries and was the first Tunisian film to win a César. “Aïcha” is his second feature film.
