Fouledh
Spring Grants 2019 - Production Stage
Mehdi Hmili, Abdallah Chamekh / Feature Documentary / Tunisia, France, Luxembourg, Qatar / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Drama
Synopsis
In the largest steel factory in Tunisia, on the edge of being privatised, two workers suffer from physical and psychological disorders after their close colleague died in the explosion of an oven in front of their eyes. While they try to overcome their trauma, we discover the intimacy of these two workers—Batfing, the young rap singer and drug addict who claims to see ghosts and Fethi, the former cinema projectionist who is losing his view.
Then begins a long descent into hell for the two workers, who gradually detach themselves from the real world and question the meaning of life and the sacrifice they make to provide for their families. Conceived as a long funeral poem and divided into three chapters—Hell, Purgatory and Paradise—the film follows two generations of steelworkers who survive in a factory of terror, waiting for a national renaissance.
Credits
- Director
- Mehdi Hmili, Abdallah Chamekh
- Screenwriter
- Mehdi Hmili
- Producer
- Moufida Fedhila
- Production Company
- Yol Film House
About the Director
Mehdi Hmili is a Tunisian director, screenwriter and producer. He received his film education in Paris, where he directed several acclaimed films exploring themes of love and exile, including ‘X-Moment’, ‘Li-La’, and ‘The Night of Badr’. In 2019, Mehdi participated in La Fabrique Cinéma du Monde at the Cannes Film Festival with the feature documentary ‘Fouledh’. The film received a series of development awards, such as the El Gouna Film Festival award. His second feature film ‘Streams’ which he directed and co-produced, was officially selected for its world premiere at the 74th Locarno Film Festival. The film was met with critical acclaim and numerous awards, including Best Director at the Malmö Arab Film Festival and Best Actress at the Cairo International Film Festival. Its theatrical release in Tunisia, Luxembourg, and France, followed by its acquisition by Netflix. As a prominent figure in the new wave of Tunisian producers and directors, Hmili has significantly influenced the cinematic landscape of his country. His experience as an alumnus of the prestigious ‘Torino Film Lab’ and as the showrunner of the true-story-based series ‘All About Adam’ underscores his commitment to pushing the boundaries of narrative storytelling.
Abdallah Chamekh is a Tunisian filmmaker. His film ‘Now and Here’ was selected in more than 30 international film festivals, received the Grand Prix at Med Memories 2014. In 2017, he created ‘CineLabo’ an in-school environment for children to learn filmmaking, which is supported by The Tunisian Ministry of Culture. Abdallah Chamekh is currently preparing his documentary film ‘Fouledh’, a Tunisian-German production, and currently lives and works in Tunis.
Contacts
-
Main Contact
Moufida Fedhila
- Company:
- Yol Film House
- Phone:
- +216 71 353 008
- Email:
- yol.filmhouse@gmail.com