Mustafa Z
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Mustafa Z مصطفى زاد |
 | |
| Country of production | Tunisia |
| original language | Arabic |
| Publishing year | 2017 |
| length | 90 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Nidhal Chatta |
| script | Sophia Haoues |
| production | Nidhal Chatta |
| camera | Mohamed Maghraoui |
| cut | Karim Ben Yahia |
| occupation | |
| |
Mustafa Z ( Arabic مصطفى زاد, DMG Muṣṭafā Zād ) is a 2017 film by the Tunisian director Nidhal Chatta based on a script by Sophia Haoues. The drama traces 24 hours of the life of an ordinary Tunisian, Mustafa Z, in the grip of the absurdity of the system. On the eve of the first free presidential election in Tunisia in 2014 , Mustafa, whom his wife blames for his lack of ambition and whose son despises him, decides to revolt against an arbitrary system that is suffocating and restricting him. The film celebrated its world premiere with a nomination for Best Film at the Carthage Film Festival 2017 in Tunisia . Numerous worldwide festival participations followed and further awards for best film.
action
Mustafa, a 44-year-old Tunisian and radio host, is preparing for a day and a perfectly normal night. His marriage is not doing well; his wife often only communicates with him via post-it . Farah, successful and constantly on the road, hardly leaves a good word to Mustafa. After an argument in the morning, she is traveling again. As if that alone weren't enough, Mustafa's nightmare is just beginning. As he prepares for the day in the bathroom, one of his teeth falls out. Then, on the way to school, the tumultuous relationship with Malek breaks out again when his teenage son insults him. His own mother manipulates him, but Mustafa takes it all passively. His working day begins with a bang. His boss fired him without notice because he was not young and dynamic enough for the radio station. Mustafa will never show the news on the radio again. He seeks rest by hiding at home and falling asleep. When he woke up, he was dismayed to find that there was blood in his urine. No more time to worry about it, Mustafa sets off to pick up Malek. Then he suddenly runs out of fuel and he has to leave his car at a defective parking meter looking for gasoline. During his search, he clashes with the gas station attendant. Upon his return, he discovers that his car is being prepared to be towed. Annoyed, he tries in vain to bribe community officials. Completely exasperated in the face of adversity, he makes one last gesture of rebellion and locks himself in his car. So it happens that he is transported to the municipal truck stop with him. Meanwhile, onlookers are filming the scene and immediately posting the events on social media without Mustafa's knowledge. The process has received a lot of comments.
The night ahead unfolds as unexpectedly as the day for Mustafa. He persistently refuses to get out of his car. And finally Mustafa, this passive man, rebels. Trapped in the confines of the car, he faces the system. He, too, is now making his plight public via the Internet and posting a personal protest against the state. He uses this moment of glory to pillory all those who stand behind corruption and the violence that reigns in the country. He points to the absurdity of certain laws and the dysfunction of public institutions. With this action he suddenly becomes a folk hero on the Internet. If he was laughed at at the beginning, a crowd has now also gathered at the truck stop, and the media have also become aware of the man who blames the whole system for his misery and proclaims in protest that he would not vote either. His wife, son, a policewoman and even a minister of state, they all try to persuade Mustafa to give up, in vain. Overnight he transforms from an ordinary gullible citizen into a hero who dares to say “no” and asserts his right to individual freedom. All of this comes at an appropriate time, on the eve of the first free presidential elections in Tunisia after the revolution , a crucial date for the young democracy .
History of origin
The making of the film goes back to a reunion of Abdelmonem Chouayet and Chatta, who already worked together for Le Dernier Mirage . Chouayet had the idea to make a film where the hero of the film spends most of the time in the car. Chatta liked the idea and accepted the challenge. The project was so very different from what Chatta had filmed before. The type of implementation was new in Tunisia, but, according to Chatta, widespread in the United States , with the main character involved in development, implementation and production. Chouayet also accepted this form of challenge and so Sophia Haoues was hired for the script . The following 3 months worked tirelessly to finish the script. In addition to his play, Chouayet also contributed dialogues for the film. Sure, there are similar collaborations of this kind in Tunisian cinema, but for Chatta the collaboration with Chouayet and Haoues, according to his own admission, was an advantage and, in his opinion, certainly resulted in a better film in the end. Chouayet worked closely with the actors in the film on the auditions and rehearsals, which is absolutely essential work in this critical phase, according to Chatta, when the dialogue and the play and personality of each individual take their final shape. According to Chatta, it was Chouayet's crucial contribution to the film that he had this incredible idea and talent to embody an ordinary man, caught in his own contradictions, and to make him a hero he doesn't want to be.
It is also noticeable that the majority of those who cause Mustafa problems are women: the police officer, his boss, his mother and his wife, so that the question arose why Mustafa doesn't also have a daughter instead of a son. According to Chatta, this choice goes back to an observation based on the almost absence of the father in Tunisian cinema or the absence of the father, who is reduced to a shadow. He and Chouayet discussed this topic early in the development phase and agreed that a girl would probably be gentler with her father, which spoke against Mustafa's latent conflict with his offspring.
Nidhal Chatta:
“We wanted a more strained relationship without filming a father-son-Freudian relationship. In the same way, the guard at the truck stop embodies the father Mustafa never had ... "
So the circle came full circle, because Mustafa's rebellion also regained the respect of his son. Chatta divides his film into 2 parts. At first he makes his main character appear suffering and without reacting. The rejection of his wife, the conflict with his son, the rejection of his boss and the mother who manipulates him, all of this limits the character's situation to the absurd because, according to the director, the law itself, our own functioning, is sometimes absurd. According to Chatta, the car is actually a protection for Mustafa. According to Chatta, the character would go to the limit of his own logic and ultimately until he decided to say "no". As a result, Mustafa regained his living space. The moment when Mustafa decides to react is the turning point for him. From that moment on he leads a confrontation that goes through the word and absolute and exclusive control over his living space, namely his car. He is in contrast to the decisions of others, those around him who try in vain to make him give up. The film also suggests a possible adultery of his wife, which is neither judged morally by the director nor given a direct reaction by Mustafa. In addition, Chatta stated that it was important to them not to pass judgment on this complex topic, far removed from any psychoanalysis of the boulevard. He also noted that Mustafa would like an explanation from his wife, of course, but not really expect an answer either, as he would be too busy devoting himself to the cascade of catastrophes that rained down on him. According to Chatta, it is the truck stop where Mustafa is as a prisoner in his car, which paradoxically means a victory for Mustafa, since people are forced to go to him. Regarding the emergence of the role of the policewoman, who seems to change her decision for no convincing reason, Chatta said that he wanted a character that shows the strong and the soft side. Chatta also think that a woman is capable of more compassion and intelligence in such times of crisis. In addition, the policewoman tries to adapt to the situation, especially if she witnesses the minister's inability to solve Mustafa's problem. According to Chatta, the character of the minister stems from observations of wooden political debates. That is why Mustafa lets this minister speak against this background, but is the only one to deny him access to his car.
The shooting took place in Tunis in 2016. The director uses the law of the series for his fictional recipe: "Everything that can go wrong will go wrong.", Murphy's law . The film is set in downtown Tunis and, with its cacophonic sounds, contrasts with the supposed calm of the main character, frustrated in a situation that Mustafa cannot control. The film also questions the state of the country and the consequences of the revolution and its imperfections. To the rhythm of Hédi Jouini's song “Suis moi, nous construisons une vie en couleurs” , black and white photos are shown that were taken after the revolution and show the behavior of uncivility, anarchic constructions and overflowing garbage cans in the open air, everywhere on the Streets and neighborhoods of the capital.
Actors and staff
The main female role of the character Farah is played by Fatma Nasser. Nasser is a Tunisian actress who started her acting career in Egypt , where she also temporarily lives. Her first role was in the film Advertisement by the Egyptian director Amr Salama. Through her play in Mustafa Z , she has also come more into focus in her home country Tunisia.
Issa Harrath (also: Aissa Harrath), in the role of the guardian of the square on which Mustafa's car is towed, is a leading figure in Tunisian theater and cinema, who is due to the roles he has long played in TV series and films , very well known. He has worked with Chouayet several times in the theater and in films such as Bastardo and Parfum de printemps . He is also known to German audiences through the films Halfaouine - Zeit der Träume by Férid Boughedir or Les siestes grenadine by director Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud.
The Minister of State is portrayed by Férid Memmich. Memmich is a partner in Chatta's production company and, in addition to his various political or cultural activities in Tunisia, slips into the role of the actor in Chatta's productions from time to time. Against this background, it is perhaps not surprising to see him here as minister. During his tenure as political advisor to the interim President Faoued Mebazaa , which preceded the period of the first free presidential election in Tunisia, he “worked calmly and clearly, in perfect agreement with President Mebazza, to deal with all components of civil society and political Forces to create a project of a new society ”.
With Taoufik Bahri (also Tawfik Bahri) an actor in the role of the gas station attendant makes life difficult for the protagonist Mustafa, who has appeared in countless TV series in Tunisia. He too stood in front of the camera with Chouayet and Harrath for Bastardo and Parfum de printemps . He became known in German-speaking countries through the film Making of - Kamikaze by the Tunisian director Nouri Bouzid . The award-winning film took part in various German film festivals.
Mohamed Grayaâ (also: Mohamed Graïaa), who, much to Mustafa's annoyance, wanted to ask him to pay when he had problems with his car, also belongs to the ranks of actors in Tunisia who are well known through TV and cinema. His path also previously crossed Chouayet's in the film Tendresse du Loup (ar: Ors-el-dhib). Grayaâ became known in German-speaking countries through the film by Mehdi Ben Attia Le fil - The Trace of Our Sehnsucht , with Claudia Cardinale .
The screenwriter Sophia Haoues, who was brought in by Chatta and Chouayet to implement the idea, is one of the aspiring screenwriters in Tunisia. Born and raised in France , she has worked on numerous films and documentaries as a writer or director. She teaches the art of storytelling at the University of Cinema and Audiovisual Art in Tunis . As part of the Carthage Film Festival in 2017, she was praised for the screenplay of Mustafa Z mentioned. She also gained further fame as the co-writer of Ibrahim Letaief for his 2019 comedy Porto Farina . Mohamed Maghraoui was responsible for the camerawork of the film. He had previously worked with Chatta twice: for his thriller Le Dernier Mirage and the documentary Zero !.
reception
Mustafa Z was produced by Chatta's production company South by South West Films in cooperation with the French producer Dominique Laisney, the film distributor is HAKKA Distribution. Nothing is known about box office results. The project Mustafa Z belonged 2016 to 23 winning film projects selected from 80 applications from feature and short films, the Commission for film production, the Tunisian Ministry of Culture and Heritage Protection (fr: du Ministère de la culture et de la sauvegarde patrimoine) is under , and was supported with a grant of 400,000 DT for the production of the film. The film has no dubbed versions. However, it was shown at festivals around the world with French , English or German subtitles.
premiere
In November 2017 the film celebrated its world premiere at the Carthage Film Festival. It was one of the nominated films in the Best Picture category . At the end of the festival, Chouayet received the Best Actor Award , which continued for his performance at film festivals in Oujda , Alexandria and FESPACO . The film was shown in Tunisian cinemas in the country at the end of February 2018. Festival participation in France, Belgium , Holland , Egypt , Morocco and Switzerland made the film public in 2018 and honored the director's work with prizes. The film became known in German-speaking countries through its participation in the Arab Film Festival Zurich . As part of the “Best of Arab Film Festival 2018” series, for example , Mustafa Z was shown in cinemas in St. Gallen , Basel and Bern after the festival ended, along with other selected Tunisian productions. In 2019 it won the Best Political Film award at the 11th Aryan Jaipur International Film Festival. In collaboration with the Federation of Film Societies of India, the Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia in Delhi and the Indian Film Critics Association, 6 award-winning Tunisian films, including Mustafa Z , all made in post-revolutionary Tunisia, have been selected to be in Metropolises of India, including Delhi , Hyderabad or Imphal , to be shown as part of the Tunisian Film Festival of India. The The Times of India dedicated to this festival June 2019 in their coverage and paid tribute to the Tunisian cinema:
“Tunisian cinema is now considered to be one of the most liberal, imaginative and award-winning cinemas in the Arab world. The revolution of 2011 or the Jasmine Revolution changed the course of Tunisian cinema considerably and gave production [...] a boost, as filmmakers enjoy a much freer environment. "
Festival dates (selection)
- 2017: Carthage Film Festival - Nominated for Best Film
- 2018: Madrid International Film Festival - Nominated for Best Comedy
- 2018: Festival de cinéma méditerranéen de Bruxelles
- 2018: Festival Cinémas du Sud, Institut Lumière Lyon
- 2018: Festival Cinéalma du Film Méditerranéen, Carros
- 2018: Fenêtres sur le Cinéma Tunisien, UNESCO Paris
- 2018: 4th International Arab Film Festival Zurich
- 2018: 13e édition du Festival Cinémas d'Afrique Lausanne
- 2018: Maghreb Film Festival Haarlem
- 2019: Tunisian Film Festival of India
Awards (selection)
- 2018: Maghreb Film Festival Oujda - Best Film
- 2018: Festival of African Films "Africlap" - Kilimandjaro Award for Best Film
- 2018: Ciné-Croisette Cannes - Audience Award
- 2018: Alexandria International Film Festival - Special Jury Prize for Best Film
- 2019: Aryan Jaipur International Film Festival - Best Political Film
Reviews
After the world premiere of Mustafa Z during the festival, the author Hafedh Mahfoudh devoted a detailed article to the film in issue no.3 for the official journal of the JCC - Carthage Film Festival 2017 . In the end he stated:
“The end of the film is surprising. It doubles the disturbance that accompanies us during contemplation. An ending that is worthy of a 'slap' and leads us to several scenes in our lives. This truth, which can be bitter in spite of itself, will later be presented as a form of implicit and unconscious resolution. "
On the occasion of the Carthage Film Festival 2017, journalist and director Lilia Blaise devoted herself to 5 films worth seeing for Middle East Eye on November 10, 2017 , of the almost 180 participating. In her reflection on Mustafa Z , she stated:
“In this squeaky black comedy by the Tunisian director Nidhal Chatta, Mustafa [...] lives a day and a night full of galleys. […] The story illustrates the absurdities of the system and denounces the formalism of some Tunisians who do not hesitate to fall back on the law when it serves their interests. The story [...] remains very topical in its visceral criticism of the system that destroys people. "
The freelance journalist Sarah Mersch from Tunisia reports regularly for the Internet portal Qantara.de . After the 28th edition of the Carthage Film Festival 2017, she reported extensively on November 15, 2017 about the festival and the opening of the Tunisian Cinematheque announced for March 2018. In her reflection on Mustafa Z , she compared the hero to Miguel de Cervantes' fictional character:
"In Nidhal Chatta's 'Mustapha Z', the main character of the same name fights like a Don Quixote against the windmills of everyday official regulations."
For the official release of the film, the editor Fawz Ben Ali published a film screening for Mustafa Z on March 2, 2018 for the cultural section of the Tunisian online portal Kapitalis , which appears in French , the summary of which was as follows:
“Nidhal Chatta built his film in two parts around the same character and managed brilliantly to transpose this metamorphosis onto the big screen that is sometimes necessary for each of us to act and end the suffering while going very deeply into the socio-political topicality in the country remained rooted. "
For the Tunisian art and architecture magazine Ideo, Inès Ben Azouz headlined the theatrical release of the film on February 28, 2018:
"Mustafa Z, the film that ironically portrays Tunisian society"
Michel Bodmer , editor-in-chief for film and series at Swiss television and film critic, summed up in his presentation of the film as part of the “Best of Arab Film Festival 2018” for the Filmpodium Zurich:
"Mustafa Z is a polished and entertaining satire about gender roles and politics in Tunisia today."
Director's intention
Asked by Naceur Sardi for the Tunisian online portal Jomhouria whether the Z or زاد in the film title should be understood as the Arabic verb form zāda ("he increased / increased") or perhaps for a "zero" (note: French in the sense of a zero , a nobody) who turns into " Zorro " in the course of events or is rather the first letter of the Arabic word, which is often heard in the film and corresponds to the name of the male genitals, Chatta explained, among other things, that it was something of all of this. According to Chatta, Mustafa is quite an ordinary and anonymous citizen. He is the antihero par excellence. Circumstances alone lead him to become a hero.
“It is the last letter of the alphabet, the last link of a Tunisian people who have given up a little and decide one day to loudly and clearly proclaim their difference and their refusal [...]. I am very attached to this popular component, this common citizen aspect of Mustafa. "
When asked if Mustafa Z would not stand for Bouazizi , Chatta replied:
"Perhaps by the fact that he is reacting violently to resolve an individual situation that is blocking him and making him suffer ... But Mustafa has a strong instinct for life and when his struggle begins to bear fruit he lets go ... Him." does not want to teach a lesson and becomes a hero against himself. "
When asked whether Chatta had a template for the role of minister that would ultimately make people less optimistic, he said:
“I didn't want a happy ending and I think the ending of the movie is totally in line with the reality where the logic of power imposes itself on our defensive body. What happens after that ... opens the way to all assumptions and that's good! ... "
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Sophia Haoues - filmography and biography. - IMDb , accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ a b Compétition officielle longs métrages fiction Mustafa Z (fr). - JCC - Carthage Film Festival 2017 , accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Author: BA Mustafa Z de Nidhal Chatta - film un peu ose dans un pays qui ose beaucoup (fr). In: Tekiano February 28, 2018, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ a b Author: Fawz Ben Ali Mustafa Z de Nidhal Chatta: l'urgence de sortir de l'ombre (fr). In: Kapitalis March 2, 2018, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ a b c d e f g Author: Naceur Sardi Le cinéma est fait de rencontres ... Interview de Nidhal Chatta (fr). In: Jomhouria March 26, 2018, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ a b Author: Lilia Blaise Cinéma en fête à Carthage: cinq films arabes à voir absolument (fr). In: MiddleEastEye November 10, 2017, accessed August 17, 2019
- ^ Film "Mustafa Z", Au rythme de "Suis moi, nous constructions une vie en couleurs" (fr). - Web Manager Center February 27, 2018, accessed August 18, 2019
- ↑ a b Mustafa Z (fr). - Africiné , accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Author: Raouia Kheder Fatma Nasser: J'ai beaucoup à donner à mon pays (fr). In: Femmes de Tunisie December 10, 2018, accessed August 18, 2019
- ↑ filmography Aissa Harrath. - IMDb , accessed August 18, 2019
- ↑ Halfaouine - Time of Dreams. - Prisma (TV magazine) , accessed August 18, 2019
- ↑ L'acteur Issa Harrath dans un état critique (fr). - Réalités , accessed August 18, 2019
- ↑ Author: Amilcar Barca Ferid Memmich ou le Sage Impertinent (fr). In: Leaders July 12, 2011, accessed August 18, 2019
- ↑ Filmography Tawfik Bahri. - IMDb , accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Making of - Kamikaze. - Filmgalerie 451 , accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Filmography Mohamed Graïaa. - IMDb , accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Le Fil - The Trail of Our Longing - Film releases , accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Filmography Mohamed Maghraoui. - IMDb accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Cinéma tunisien: 23 films bénéficiaires d'aide à la production (fr). - Babnet January 5, 2016, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Best of International Arab Film Festival Zurich. - Cinélibre accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Six contemporary award winning feature films from Tunisia to be screened at MSFDS (en). - E-Pao May 19, 2019, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Tunisian Film Festival attracts large number of visitors (en). - United News of India May 27, 2019, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ a b Author: Inès Ben Azouz Mustafa Z, le film qui dépeint ironiquement la société Tunisienne, enfin dans les salles (fr). - In: Ideo Magazine February 28, 2018, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Tunisian Film Fest to begin today (en). - The Times of India June 17, 2019, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Competition Best Feature Comedy Madrid IFF 2018. - IFF - International Film Fest Madrid 23 May 2018, accessed 17 August 2019
- ↑ Mustafa Z. - CinemaMed - Festival Cinéma Méditerranéen à Bruxelles accessed August 17, 2019
- ^ Festival Cinema du Sud (fr). - Culture Lyon accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ La 13 ème édition du festival Cinéalma rend hommage au cinéma Italy (fr). - Art Cote d'Azur accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Le cinéma tunisien à l'honneur à Paris (fr). - Leaders December 3, 2018, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Mustafa. - IAFFZ - International Arab Film Festival Zurich November 2018, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Author: Claude Talaber La 13e édition du "Festival Cinémas d'Afrique" (fr). In: Daily Movies May 30, 2018, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Hakim and Karim Traïdia organize Maghreb Film Festival in Haarlem (en). - Teller Report November 20, 2018, accessed August 17, 2019
- ^ "Mustapha Z" remporte le Grand prix du Festival maghrébin du film d'Oujda (fr). - Liberation (Morocco) June 29, 2018, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ festival cinémas d'Afrique: 2 films tunisiens se distinguent (fr). - Nessma TV accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Author: Neila Driss Le cinéma tunisien à l'honneur à Cannes (fr). - In: Tunis Webdo April 14, 2018, accessed August 17, 2019
- ^ Author: Di avec Médias Tunisie - Egypte: Mustafa Z récompensé au Festival du Cinéma Méditerranéen d'Alexandrie (fr). - In: Directinfo October 9, 2018, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Awards Announced for 11th Aryan Jaipur International Film Festival. - JIFF 2019 accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Author: Hafedh Mahfoudh JCC 2017 - La Quotidienne (ar). - In: La quotidienne des JCC, 28ème édition No. 3 - November 6, 2017, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Author: Sarah Mersch Tunisia's film landscape on the move. - In: Qantara.de November 15, 2017, accessed August 17, 2019
- ↑ Author: Michel Bodmer Mustafa Z. For: Filmpodium Zürich, accessed August 17, 2019
Web links
- Mustafa Z in the Internet Movie Database (English)