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As I Open My Eyes

  • A peine j'ouvre les yeux - على [...]
Genre : Musical
Type : Fiction
Original title :
Principal country concerned : Column : Cinema/tv
Year of production : 2015
Format : Feature
Running time : 102 (in minutes)
http://www.shellac-altern.org/films/369

Set on the eve of the Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution, that first feature from director Leyla Bouzid follows an up-and-coming underground band as they are pulled in all directions by creative energy, authoritarian oppression, and rebellion.

Tunis, summer 2010, a few months before the Revolution: Farah, 18 years old, has just graduated and her family already sees her as a future doctor. But she doesn't have the same idea. She sings in a political rock band, has a passion for life, gets drunk, discovers love and her city by night against the wishes of her mother Hayet, who knows Tunisia and its dangers all too well.

A film by Leyla Bouzid,

Tunisia / ​​France /​ ​Belgium / ​​United Arab Emirates, 2015, Feature Drama | 1hr 42 minutes, color, DCP

starring Baya Medhaffer, Ghalia Benali, Montassar Ayari, Aymen Omrani, Lassaad Jamoussi

First feature.



NOTE OF INTENTION
"There was a special atmosphere that summer, the feeling of being in a dead end, that something would eventually explode. Young people were in turmoil, they resisted through music, blogging, Internet and their very existence. It is from them that came the energy of what happened later, it is from them that comes the energy of this film. [...] Farah is one of these young people who seeks to live life to the full despite family pressure and an omnipresent police state. As a free and impulsive singer, she is the voice of a generation that resists daily."
[Leyla Bouzid]

Tags: Next Wave, First Feature, Coming of Age, Music, Female Experience, Arab Experience, North Africa, Middle East, Female Director

NOTE OF THE PROGRAMMER (Toronto 2015)

À peine j'ouvre les yeux gives us a look at Tunisian youth on the eve of the Jasmine Revolution as they are pulled in all directions by conflicting forces: disenchantment, fear, creativity, rebellion against dictatorship, rejection of conservatism, and the courage to pursue their desires.

Farah (Baya Medhaffer) is a young woman at a crossroads. Her medical-school application has just been accepted, and nothing could please her mother, Hayet (Ghalia Benali), more - but Farah's passion is for music, and her underground band is just beginning to get noticed. Their music blends rock with daring lyrics that have the raw poetry of spoken word. Soon enough, the police are alerted to the band's subversive performances and begin to harass them, and when Farah is detained and interrogated, she realizes that one of her friends is a snitch.

À peine j'ouvre les yeux is a remarkably accomplished first film, directed by Leyla Bouzid with unflagging honesty and an impeccable eye for detail. The story was inspired by Bouzid's personal experience: during Ben Ali's dictatorship, she and her friends ran a cine-club, one of whose members was discovered to be a secret-police informant.

Bouzid's behind-the-camera talent is complemented by Iraqi musician Khyam Allami's compositions and Ghassen Amami's hard-hitting lyrics, and by the engaging, truthful performances of the cast - particularly Medhaffer, a joy to watch on stage as the fiery Farah, sharing a marvellous onscreen chemistry with celebrated singer-performer Benali.

Rasha Salti (Toronto, TIFF 2015)


Foreign Title: A peine j'ouvre les yeux

Director: Leyla Bouzid

Countries of Production: Tunisia/​France/​Belgium/​United Arab Emirates

Year of presentation: 2015
Language: Arabic
Runtime: 102 minutes
Rating: 14A

Production Companies
Blue Monday Productions/​Propaganda Productions/​Helicotronc

Producers
Sandra da Fonseca, Imed Marzouk, Anthony Rey, Nathalie Mesuret, Bertrand Gore

Screenplay: Leyla Bouzid, Marie-Sophie Chambon
Cinematographer: Sébastien Goepfert
Editor: Lilian Corbeille
Sound: Ludovic Van Pachterbeke, Rémi Gérard
Music: Khyam Allami

Principal Cast
Baya Medhaffer (Farah)
Ghalia Benali (Hayet)
Montassar Ayari (Borhène)
Aymen Omrani (Ali)
Lassaad Jamoussi (Mahmoud)
Deena Abdelwahed (Inès)
Youssef Soltana (Ska)
Marwen Soltana (Sami)


Primary Publicist
Alibi Communications

International Sales Agent
Doc & Film International

producers
Sandra Da Fonseca
Imed Marzouk
Anthony Rey
Nathalie Mesuret
Bertrand Gore

productions
Blue Monday Productions
Propaganda Production
Hélicotronc

world sales
Doc & Film International
13, rue Portefoin, 75003 Paris, France
Ph. +33 1 42775687 - Fax +33 1 42773656
sales@docandfilm.com - www.docandfilm.com

press office
Alibi Communications
Brigitta Portier
brigittaportier@alibicommunications.be
www.alibicommunications.be
International number +32 477982584
Italian number from 2nd of september +39 3398674751


2015 | 40th Toronto Festival | 10-20 Sept 2015, Canada
* Sélection - Contemporary World Cinema
* North American Premiere
* Screening: Tue Sep 15, 9:00 PM, Scotiabank Theatre Scotiabank 1, SUBTITLED
* Screening: Thu Sep 17, 6:45 PM, TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 2, SUBTITLED
* Screening: Sat Sep 19, 1:00 PM, TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 2, SUBTITLED
http://tiff.net/festivals/festival15/contemporaryworldcinema/as-i-open-my-eyes

2015 | Venice Film Festival
* Selection - Venise days (Giornate degli Autori)
* World Premiere
www.venice-days.com/FILM.asp?id=9&id_dettaglio=552&t=A+peine+jouvre+les+yeux+-+As+&lang=eng

______

IT

Tunisi, estate 2010, pochi mesi prima della Rivoluzione. La diciottenne Farah si è appena diplomata e la sua famiglia vorrebbe iscriverla alla facoltà di Medicina. Lei non la pensa allo stesso modo. Canta in un gruppo politico rock. Vuole vivere, divertirsi, scoprire l'amore e frequentare la città di notte contro la volontà della madre Hayet che, invece, conosce molto bene la Tunisia e teme le sue insidie.

di Leyla Bouzid

Francia, Tunisia, Belgio, Emirati Arabi Uniti, 2015, 102', colore, DCP

Opera Prima

"C'era un'atmosfera particolare quell'estate, la sensazione di essere in un vicolo cieco e che qualcosa, da un momento all'altro, stesse per esplodere. I giovani erano in tumulto, facevano resistenza attraverso la musica, i blog, Internet e il loro stesso esistere. È da loro che è arrivata la spinta per ciò che è accaduto dopo, è da loro che viene l'energia di questo film. [...] Farah è una di questi giovani che cerca di vivere pienamente, nonostante la pressione della famiglia e uno stato di polizia onnipresente. Come cantante libera e impulsiva, lei è la voce di una generazione che resiste quotidianamente".
[Leyla Bouzid]

sceneggiatura
Leyla Bouzid
Marie-Sophie Chambon

fotografia
Sébastien Goepfert

montaggio
Lilian Corbeille

musica
Khyam Allami

suono
Ludovic Van Pachterbeke
Rémi Gérard

scenografia
Raouf Helioui

costumi
Nadia Anane

interpreti
Baya Medhaffer (Farah)
Ghalia Benali (Hayet)
Montassar Ayari (Borhène)
Aymen Omrani (Ali)
Lassaad Jamoussi (Mahmoud)
Deena Abdelwahed (Inès)
Youssef Soltana (Ska)
Marwen Soltana (Sami)

produttori
Sandra Da Fonseca
Imed Marzouk
Anthony Rey
Nathalie Mesuret
Bertrand Gore

produzioni
Blue Monday Productions
Propaganda Production
Hélicotronc

vendite internazionali
Doc & Film International
13, rue Portefoin, 75003 Parigi, Francia
Tel. +33 1 42775687 - Fax +33 1 42773656
sales@docandfilm.com - www.docandfilm.com

ufficio stampa
Alibi Communications
Brigitta Portier
brigittaportier@alibicommunications.be
www.alibicommunications.be
International number +32 477982584
Italian number from 2nd of september +39 3398674751


2015 | Mostra de Venise
* Selection - Venise days (Giornate degli Autori)
* World Premiere / Première Mondiale / Prima Mondiale
* * Screening: 03/09/2015, 22:00, Perla 2 - Press / Industry
* Screening: 05/09/2015, 16:45, Perla -/- Tickets, All Accreditations - Followed by Q&A
* Screening: 05/09/2015, 19:00, Multisala Rossini - Venezia -/- Tickets
* Screening: 06/09/2015 h 19:00: IMG Cinemas Candiani - Mestre
-/- Tickets
* Screening: 08/09/2015, 11:30, Perla -/- All Accreditations
www.venice-days.com/FILM.asp?id=9&id_dettaglio=552&t=A+peine+jouvre+les+yeux+-+As+&

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