Cinema Sees A Revival In Post ­Revolution Tunisia

A dozen feature films are now made each year, and new theatres are opening up

Tunisian lmmakers are making the most of newfound freedoms to tackle issues banished for decades from the silver screen, prompting a post­revolution cinema revival.

“Since 2011, one of the most tangible benets we’ve seen is the ability to talk about all topics, especially themes of society, our daily life, its complexity and its richness,” said producer Habib Attia. “In cinema it pays to have that sincerity.”

Just two or three lms a year were released during the 2000s, but the industry has rebounded since the 2011 uprising that toppled dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. A dozen feature lms are now made each year and new cinemas are opening up.

Some 2,00,000 people ocked to the cinema this year to watch El Jaida by lmmaker and activist Salma Baccar about the ght for women’s rights in Tunisia.