Fataria Competes in the Long Narrative Competition at Luxor African Film Festival

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Focusing on the Gap between the Politicians and the Citizens in the Arab World

Fataria Competes in the Long Narrative Competition at Luxor African Film Festival


The Tunisian film Fataria by Walid Tayaa competes in the Long Narrative Competition at the 9th Luxor African Film Festival (March 6-12). The film world premiered during the latest edition of Carthage Film Festival.

Fataria will be screened on Monday, March 9, at 2:00 PM at the Conference Hall, and on Tuesday, March 10, at 8:00 PM at Misr Public Library (MPL)
Regarded as one of the foundation's most important projects, the Luxor African Film Festival (LAFF) is organized by the Independent Shabab Foundation (ISF), which is a non-profit entity that is registered at the Ministry of Social Solidarity. The Festival aims to connect the Egyptian culture to its African roots, and de-centralize cultural or artistic events, which are always organized in Cairo and Alexandria, and move them to Luxor.

The Arab Summit, May 2004, Tunis in turmoil. In this frenzied and burlesque atmosphere, characters intersect without ever really meeting, striving to solve their personal problems. They are Hamadi, the electrician, who is deeply in love with 50-year-old Naziha, Salha who contradicts the laws of life in pursuit of her livelihood, Nadia who stands in the face of corruption through dancing, and Ammar who suffers from the effects of bureaucracy more than diseases.

Directed and written by Walid Tayaa, Fataria stars Rim Hamrouni, Issa Harrath, Jamel Madani, Sabeh Bouzouita and Nadia Saiji. It is co-produced by Mat Productions, Cinétéléfilms, L’Aide aux cinémas du monde, Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, Institut Français, and the CNCI-Ministère de la Culture Tunisien. MAD Solutions handles the film’s distribution in the Arab world.

Walid Tayaa is a Tunisian filmmaker and screenwriter. In 2006, he directed his first short film, Madame Bahja, selected at the Cannes Film Festival in the World Cinema section. In 2009, he made two short films, Prestige, which screened at Berlinale, and Vivre, which was awarded the Grand Prize at the Festival du Film Méditerranéen in Tétouan and the Tanit d’Or at the Carthage Film Festival. Tayaa also directed the documentary Moi El Issawi, which revolves around the Issaouia Sufi brotherhood. The film garnered attention and success at renowned film festivals, including Carthage Film Festival. Fataria is his debut feature film.