Red Sea Fund also provided financial support to the film during the production and post-production rounds in 2021 and 2022.
Tunisian filmmaker Mohamed Ben Attia’s Behind the Mountains celebrated its world premiere with a jam-packed screening as part of the Horizons Section at the 80th edition of the Venice International Film Festival. The festival, running until September 9, witnessed heightened anticipation surrounding the film, with esteemed guests, influential figures, and prominent members of the media in attendance, showering it with accolades. The general audience also joined in the admiration, offering a standing ovation to both the film and its director.
The premiere was graced by the presence of the entire cast, which includes Majd Mastoura, Walid Bouchhioua, and Samer Bisharat. Director Mohamed Ben Attia and the producers also attended the event.
The film is about Rafik and his son. Rafik has only one plan: take his son far away in order to demonstrate his spectacular ability to fly. Faced with his wife’s disbelief and the resistance of his in-laws, Rafik bursts into his son’s school and whisks him away. During their escape, they meet a shepherd and take shelter in a country house, where things start to go wrong.
After spending four years in jail, Rafik has only one plan, take his son behind the mountains and show him his amazing discovery.
Behind the Mountains is written and directed by Ben Attia, who previously won the Best First Feature Award at the Berlin International Film Festival for his work on Hedi. The film also stars Salma Zeghidi and Helmi Dridi.
Lensed by Frédéric Noirhomme, Behind the Mountains is edited by Lenka Fillnerova and co-produced by Dora Bouchoucha and Lina Chaabane (Nomadis Images); Jean Pierre, Luc Dardenne, and Delphine Tomson (Les Film Du Fleuve); Nadim Cheikhrouha (Tanit Films); and Giovanni Robbiano and Lorenzo Rappetti (010films).
Behind the Mountains has received support from the Red Sea Fund, winning both production and post-production rounds in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Furthermore, Mohamed Ben Attia is also a Red Sea Lodge instructor.
The film is distributed worldwide by Luxbox, while MAD Solutions handles Arab world sales.
