CROSSING WITH MAHMOUD BEN MAHMOUD

Born in Tunis in 1947, Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud studied film at INSAS in Belgium from 1967 to 1970. He also pursued studies in art history, archaeology, and journalism at the Université libre de Bruxelles, where he began teaching screenwriting in 1988.
His filmography includes 17 works, notably his first feature Crossing Over (1982), Chichkhan – Poussière de diamant co-directed with Fadhel Jaïbi (1991), Anastasia de Bizerte (1996), The Professor (2012), and Fatwa, which won the Golden Tanit at the 2018 Carthage Film Festival.
Ben Mahmoud’s films explore themes of borders, otherness, and memory. Whether fiction or documentary, his work reflects a deep engagement with identity and the human condition, portraying characters, rooted here or elsewhere, who challenge conventions and offer poetic reflections on both personal and collective histories.
The 36th edition of Carthage Film Festival invites audiences to a cinematic journey with filmmaker Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud. This immersive experience includes the screening of a selection of six of his films, as well as a masterclass offering the opportunity to explore his career, his artistic vision, and his approach to cinema. The film programme includes: Anastasia de Bizerte (1996), Traversées (1982), Siestes Grenadine (1999), Wajd, A Thousand and One Sufi Voices (2001), The Professor (2012), and Fatwa (2018).