Tunisian film ‘The Island of Forgiveness’, directed, written and produced by Ridha Behi, will be showcased at NVIC – Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo on March 3. The movie features Claudia Cardinale, Katia Greco, Paola Lavini, Ali Bennour and Badis Behi and is distributed by MAD Solutions.
The story follows Andrea Licari, an Italian professor and author who returns to his birthplace in Tunisia to scatter his mother’s ashes. On his journey, he confronts his past and seeks forgiveness for himself and others.
The film premiered at the 44th Cairo International Film Festival and won the Silver Pyramid Award for Best Director and the Naguib Mahfouz Award for Best Screenplay. It received six nominations at the 2022 Carthage Film Festival, including the Golden Tanit for Best Feature Film.
The script was inspired by Behi’s experience of returning to Tunisia after years abroad and was co-written with Ziad Hamzeh, who served as one of the producers. Shot on location in Djerba and Rome with a budget of $1m, the movie features a score composed by Amine Bouhafa and songs by Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi.
The movie was released in Tunisia on March 15, 2022, and in Italy on April 22, 2022, receiving positive reviews for exploring themes like identity, exile, and reconciliation. It was selected as the Tunisian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards, but unfortunately, it was not nominated.
