release date October 03 2024
Mourad Ben Cheikh’s A BIRD FROM PARADISE world premieres at Oran International Arab Film Festival
The romantic comedy A BIRD FROM PARADISE, written and directed by Mourad Ben Cheikh, makes its world premiere on Tuesday, October 8th, at 2 PM, as part of the official competition of the Oran International Arab Film Festival in Algeria, which runs from the 4th to the 10th.
The film follows Amadeus, a charming Italian antique dealer who finds himself smitten by Bardra, AKA Betty. After the two lovebirds decide to marry and flee to Tunisia, Amadeus finds himself in the clutches of an extremely religious and disapproving mother.
Moreover, as his in-laws pose another threat, our groom-to-be is pressured to part with something quite dear to him. Will the power of love prevail, or will family and tradition tear the couple apart?
Discussing the film, Ben Cheikh notes, "This social and cultural comedy creates a space for interaction between the North and the South, allowing us to laugh together at ourselves, far from all the tragedies that tend to divide us."
A joint production between Italy and Tunisia, A BIRD FROM PARADISE is an adaptation of the novel La Marmite d'Ayoubby by writer Mohamed Redha Ben Hamouda and is produced by Habib Attia, Silvia Innocenzi, and Giovanni Saulini for Alfa Multimedia and Cinetel Film.
Featuring Italian actor Nicola Nocella, Amal Manaï, Jamal Madani, and Mounira Zakraoui, the film was shot by Giorgio Giancarlo, edited by Anes Saadi and Mahdi Barsaoui, sound edited by Tarek Tayba, and scored by Rabii Zamouri, with MAD World handling worldwide sales and MAD Distribution managing sales and distribution rights across the Arab world.
Mourad Ben Cheikh studied fine arts in Tunisia before continuing his studies at DAMS in Bologna. In addition to being one of the founding members of ARFT (Association of Tunisian Filmmakers), he served as ARFT’s longtime treasurer before becoming its president from 2020 to 2022.
His most notable works include the documentary NO MORE FEAR (Cannes 2011) and the TV drama YAWMYYAT IMRAA, which represents a turning point in the Tunisian history of TV dramas.
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