36th Carthage Film Festival– Opening Day Recap

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Sunday, December 14, 2025, the first day of the 36th edition of the Carthage Film Festival began at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MACAM), located at the City of Culture Chedly Klibi, with the inauguration of two major exhibitions conceived by visual artist AmanAllah Okja. The opening was attended by Mr. Mohamed Tarek Ben Chaabane, Director of the 36th edition of the JCC and President of the Organizing Committee, Ms. Fatou Cissé, daughter of the renowned Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé, Armenian filmmaker Inna Mkhitaryan,, and other festival guests.

The first exhibition, dedicated to Armenian cinema, titled Printing Memory, presented a rich collection of film posters spanning from the 1930s to the present day, including the iconic poster of a woman with a striking, piercing gaze. The posters, largely restored with meticulous care, were complemented by a video projection devoted to one of Armenia’s most celebrated filmmakers, featuring selected reflections and maxims on cinema. Visitors were guided through a corridor-like space, offering a visual and graphic journey through the history of Armenian cinema.

This exhibition will be followed by a curated selection of Armenian films as part of Focus Armenia, and a masterclass with Armenian director Tamara Stepanyan focusing on Armenian cinema and questions of identity, to be held on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

The second exhibition, titled Light of The Invisible and inspired by the film Yeelen, honored Souleymane Cissé, inviting visitors into a sensory and contemplative experience. Through luminous spaces and areas of near-total darkness, the exhibition culminated in an enclosed room reminiscent of a marabout, reflecting a spiritual approach to space and light in Cissé’s work. Beyond the exhibition, the official opening of the Souleymane Cissé tribute took place at the Tahar Cheriaa Theatre with a screening of A Daughter’s Tribute to Her Father, directed by Fatou Cissé, which follows the filmmaker and his daughter as they explore his cinematic career. Fatou Cissé expressed her gratitude for the tribute and highlighted how both the exhibition and the film reflect her father’s mystical perception of space and light. Testimonies from Malian filmmakers further emphasized the spiritual, philosophical, and artistic dimensions of Cissé’s practice. The tribute will continue throughout the week with a curated selection of his films.

The day also featured the opening of the Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud Tribute, celebrating the Tunisian director and 2018 Golden Tanit winner for his feature Fatwa. The tribute began at the Tahar Cheriaa Theatre with a screening of Siestes grenadines (1999), a film following Wahid Haydar and his daughter Soufiya as they return to a transformed Tunisia, exploring questions of identity and belonging. The tribute will continue with a masterclass on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at the Theatre of Young Creators, dedicated to Ben Mahmoud’s pioneering contributions to Tunisian cinema.

Another highlight of the first day was the opening of the Claudia Cardinale Tribute, honoring the late Italian-Tunisian actress who passed away earlier this year. Celebrating both her international career and her Tunisian roots, the event took place at the Tahar Cheriaa Theatre and featured screenings of Claudia Cardinale… Beauty and Grace by Lotfi Bahri, Claudia Cardinale, the Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia (1994) by Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud, and Golden Rings (1956), directed by René Vautier and Mustapha Fersi.

The 36th JCC also placed a special spotlight on Asian cinema, with a focus on Philippine cinema, recognized as one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing independent film movements today. The opening ceremony of Focus Philippines was attended by Mr. Roderico C. Atienza, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the Philippines to Tunisia, Mr. Leandro Luiz S. Manantan, Consul of the Philippines, and Mr. Mohamed Tarek Ben Chaabane, Director of the 36th edition of the festival and President of the Organizing Committee.

In parallel, the 11th edition of JCC in Prisons was inaugurated at Borj Roumi Prison in Bizerte, organized in collaboration with the General Authority for Prisons and Reintegration. Attendees included Ms. Mounira Mnif, Director of Audiovisual Arts at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the Director General of Inmate Affairs, the Director of the Department of Reform, Care, and Reintegration, the Director of Borj Roumi Prison, and the Head of the Sub-Administration for the Coordination of Training, Animation, and Education Programs. This initiative continues to provide incarcerated audiences with access to cinema as a tool for reflection, education, and cultural enrichment.

A masterclass with Tunisian director Mokhtar Ladjimi was also held at the Africa Hotel Theater, following the screening of his acclaimed documentary trilogy produced by Arte: Le Ciné colonial (1997), Mille et Une Danses Orientales (1999), and Orient des cafés (2000). Moderated by academic and filmmaker Ons Kamoun and organized within the framework of the Tunisian Association for the Promotion of Film Criticism (ATPCC), Ladjimi reflected on the challenges of archival research, copyright clearance, and the constraints of broadcasting, emphasizing his commitment to exploring memory, heritage, and the critical examination of colonial cinema. He also highlighted the continuity of these themes in his latest feature, The Odyssey of Oblivion, to be screened in the Special Screenings section of the festival.

The day concluded with the launch of Ciné Avenue along Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Tunis, featuring a vibrant concert by Nader Guirat, marking the start of a week-long celebration of cinema in the heart of the city.