Tunis, 1942. Nour and Myriam, 16, have been friends since childhood. They share the same house in a modest neighbourhood where Jews and Muslims live in harmony. Each one secretly desires the other girl's life: while Nour regrets that she doesn't go to school like her friend, Myriam dreams of love. She is envious of Nour's engagement to her cousin Khaled, a sort of fantasy of the charming Arabian prince that they both share. Unfortunately, Khaled cannot find work. The engagement lingers and the prospect of a carnal union grows more distant. In November 1942, the German army enters Tunis. Pursuing the policies of the Vichy regime, the Nazis impose a heavy fine on the Jewish community. Tita, Myriam's mother, no longer has the right to work. Crippled with debts, she decides to marry her daughter to a rich doctor. Myriam sees her dreams of love suddenly fade away…
Original title: LE CHANT DES MARIEES
A film by Karin Albou
France - 2008 - 1hr40 min - 35 mm - Color - 1.85 - Dolby SR - Feature - Drama. Original languages : French, Arabic, German
directed by : Karin Albou
Screenplay : Karin Albou
Dir of photography : Laurent Brunet
Sound : François Guillaume
Music : François-Eudes Chanfrault
Editing : Camille Cotte
Costumes : Tania Shebabo-Cohen & Lilia Lakahoua
Set : Khaled Joulak
Producer: Isabelle Pragier & Laurent Lavolé
Production company: GLORIA FILMS Productions
Co-production company: France 3 Cinéma, Cinétéfilms
ACTORS
Myriam: Lizzie Brocheré
Nour: Olympe Borval
Raoul: Simon Abkarian
Khaled: Najib Oudghiri
Tita: Karin Albou
PRODUCTION : Gloria Films
IN COPRODUCTION WITH FRANCE 3 CINEMA
FRENCH DISTRIBUTION ET INTERNATIONAL SALES: PYRAMIDE
FESTIVALS/ AWARDS
Ottawa Film Festival : Jury's award
Young directors festival of Saint Jean de Luz : Audience award, two male performance award.
Festival du cinéma méditerranéen de Montpellier : Eclair award and jury's special mention
Arab film festival of Fameck : Press award
__________________________
Nour und Myriam, beide 16 Jahre alt, sind seit ihrer Kindheit
befreundet. Im großen Mietshaus leben Juden und Muslime harmonisch miteinander. Nour, ans Haus gefesselt, ist verlobt. Myriam träumt noch von einem Märchenprinzen. Im November 1942 besetzen die Deutschen Tunis. Tita, Myriams Mutter, wird arbeitslos und drängt ihre Tochter, einen reichen jüdischen Arzt zu heiraten. Feinfühlig schildert der Film Liebe in Zeiten von Kollaboration und Antisemitismus.
regie: Karin Albou | F 2008 | 100 min | OmdU
2009 | Festival du film Francophone de Tübingen | TÜBINGEN-STUTTGART, Germany
* Selection Neue filme (New Films)