Tunisian filmmaker Mohamed Ben Attia is set to showcase his feature film, Behind the Mountains, at the upcoming Maskoon Fantastic Film Festival on October 4. In Beirut, this festival is the only one in the region to focus specifically on modern genre cinema, presenting a diverse range of films, including horror, thriller, fantasy, sci-fi, and action genres, to Arab audiences.
The narrative revolves around Rafik and his son, as Rafik embarks on a quest to highlight his son’s extraordinary flying abilities. Confronted with doubts from his wife and opposition from his in-laws, Rafik disrupts his son’s schooling and takes him on an adventurous escapade. Along the way, they meet a shepherd and seek shelter in a country home, leading to unexpected developments.
Written and directed by Mohamed Ben Attia, known for winning the Best First Feature Award at the Berlin International Film Festival for his earlier work, Hedi, the film features a talented cast that includes Samer Bisharat, Walid Bouchhioua, Salma Zeghidi, and Helmi Dridi.
Frédéric Noirhomme handles cinematography, and Lenka Fillnerova edits. The film is a collaborative effort produced by Dora Bouchoucha and Lina Chaabane (Nomadis Images), Jean Pierre, Luc Dardenne, and Delphine Tomson (Les Films du Fleuve), Nadim Cheikhrouha (Tanit Films), and Giovanni Robbiano and Lorenzo Rappetti (010films).
Behind the Mountains has garnered backing from the Red Sea Fund, securing support in both production and post-production phases in 2021 and 2022. Additionally, Mohamed Ben Attia is an instructor at the Red Sea Lodge.
For global distribution, the film has been taken on by Luxbox, while MAD Solutions is responsible for sales in the Arab world.
