HomeCulture & Art The Tunisian film director Nouri Bouzid awarded the Ibn Rushd Prize for Freedom of Thought 2007
The Tunisian film director Nouri Bouzid awarded the Ibn Rushd Prize for Freedom of Thought 2007
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Cinematic Art as Way of Opposing Social Hypocrisy: The Tunisian film director Nouri Bouzid awarded the Ibn Rushd Prize for Freedom of Thought 2007
(Berlin) This year’s Ibn Rushd Prize goes to the film director Nouri Bouzid for his remarkably courageous film work, in which he expresses his viewers against injustice and contributes to critical thought in the Arab society.
The Prize competition of the Ibn Rushd Fund for Freedom of Thought was announced in the beginning of 2007 to be awarded to „an Arab film maker, who has dedicated himself to freedom and democracy and has tackled the problems of social and political taboos through his works, critically investigating related phenomena and practices from a new perspective“.
In his last film „Making of“ (Arabic „Akhir film“, which means = „The Last Film“), which was awarded first prize on the film festival of Carthage in 2006, Bouzid concerns himself with the question of why young men are willing to take their lives in a suicide bombing. In an interview with Larissa Bender he speaks of the forlornness of Arab youth on the spiritual level and their „desperation with regard to economy“. This prepares the ground for fundamental Islam, which knows how to use the interior gagging in rigid social structures and the exterior rage against the presumptuousness of Western policy in their region. „It becomes obvious in this film who has the responsibility... We are all responsible: the police is responsible, the absence of freedom is responsible, the family structure, the failure of education system... we all have prepared the young man and Islamists have plucked him.“
October 18 – 25, Clay and Castro Theatres, Roxie Film Center and Artist’s Television Access, San Francisco October 24, October 26 to 28, California Theater, Berkeley October 20, October 26 and 27, Camera 12 Downtown, San Jose
Making Of Nouri Bouzid's tense feature follows the transformation and indoctrination of Bahta (Lofti Abdelli), from frustrated break-dancer to suicide bomber in contemporary Tunisia. Bouzid's "Making Of" framing story breaks the action and stages a showdown between Abdelli, as the actor playing Bahta, and a director figure (played by Bouzid) as they argue over the implications of the film and its messages. (2006, Tunisia, 35mm, 117 minutes, Color, Arabic/English Subtitles) Screens at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 18, at the Clay Theatre, 2261 Fillmore Street, San Francisco.
Noor Awards – On Thursday, October 25, the Arab Film Festival hosts the first Annual "Noor” (an Arabic word for “light”) Awards Ceremony. Categories for Outstanding Short, Outstanding Feature and Outstanding Documentary films will be announced at an evening event beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco. After the awards, the U.S. premiere of the night’s centerpiece film, Cut and Paste will occur at 8:00 p.m.(2006, Egypt, 35mm, 105 minutes, Color, Arabic/English Subtitles)
Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.aff.org or at the door before show times. Advance purchase is recommended.
Admission VIP Preview Reception (Wed. Oct 17, 6:30 p.m.) Vanguard Properties 2501 Mission Street, San Francisco 94110 $125/person, $200/couple
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Opening Night (Th. Oct 18, 7 p.m.) Clay Theatre 2261 Fillmore St., San Francisco 94115 Making Of (2006, Tunisia) $25 (includes After-Party at Medjool, S.F.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Noor Awards Ceremony (Th. Oct 25 Reception – 6:15 p.m. Awards Ceremony –7pm) Castro Theatre 429 Castro St., San Francisco, 94114 $25 event + films, $15 film screening only
Film Screening – 8 p.m. Cut and Paste (2006, Egypt, U.S. premier)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the full schedule of the 11th Annual Arab Film Festival, visit:www.aff.org.
Culture & Art 
