The 33rdJournées Cinématographiques de Carthage(JCC – Carthage Film Days) took place from October 29th to November 5th.
Created in 1962, this festival celebrates films from the African continent and the so-called “Southern” cinema. Managing Director Sonia Chamkhi values heritage films as much as contemporary work, regardless of genre and style. Above all, she highlights “original films organically rooted in the social and cultural concerns of the countries of the South.”
This year there are no less than 6 official competitions, eachwith several films from Africa and the Middle East. Leïla Chaïba’s Gardien des mondes, an award-winnerat Montpellier’s recent Cinemed, and Abdelatif Abdelhamid’s La Route illustrate the diversity of films on offer and the creativity of these countries.
In parallel to the screenings there was an international symposium, Créer un chemin vers la résistance. The meeting re-affirmed the JCC’s founding principles by giving an important place to the debates and reflections which are part of film-making and cinematographic practice. During that day many round tables were organized to “question the relationship between politics (or more broadly, the political) and cinema.” In this way the organizers posed the question: “What can cinema say about the world? Shake it up or try to cure its ills and change it?”
The closing ceremony was held on November 4thwith the juries announcing this year’s award-winners. The list is available on the website of the Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage.
Sources: Middle East Eye, JCC
