Bab'Aziz

From the archive

âAn Arabian dream that weaves timeless story threads with mystical and Sufi elements into a beautiful film object. . . as fascinating as reading a new chapter of 1,001 Nights.â - - Deborah Young, Variety Synopsis A visual poem of incomparable beauty, this masterpiece from director Nacer Khemir (Wanderers of the Desert) begins with the story of a blind dervish named BabâAziz and his spirited granddaughter, Ishtar. Together they wander the desert in search of a great reunion of dervishes that takes place just once every thirty years. With faith as their only guide, the two journey for days through the expansive, barren landscape. To keep Ishtar entertained, BabâAziz relays the ancient tale of a prince who relinquished his realm in order to remain next to a small pool in the desert, staring into its depths while contemplating his soul. As the tale of the prince unfolds, the two encounter other travelers with stories of their own - including Osman, who longs for the beautiful woman he met at the bottom of a well, and Zaid, who searches for the ravishing young woman who fled from him after being seduced by his songs. Filled with breathtaking images and wonderful music, Nacir Khemir has created a fairytale-like story of longing and belonging, filmed in the enchanting and ever-shifting sandscapes of Tunisia and Iran. Cast: Parviz Shahinkhou - BabâAziz Maryam Hamid - Ishtar Nessim Kahloul - Zaid Mohamed Grayaa - Osman Maryam Mohaid Hossein Panahi Golshifteh Farahani - Nour Reviews: âA structurally audacious fairy tale that imparts moral lessons and shows how narratives reflect and shape life⦠cinematographer Mahmoud Kalari frames the dunes, rock formations and sandblasted village and cities with a poetâs eye, turning real spaces into dreamscapes.â âMatt Zoller Seitz, New York Times âThe breathtaking desert landscapes that dominate Nacer Khemirâs beautiful, elliptical Middle East drama deserve the big screen⦠youâll remember the dreamlike state the film induces long after the credits roll.â âNew York Magazine âcinematographer Mahmoud Kalari infuses the screen with sumptuous yet unemphatic colors, filtered through sun and wind and sand. Thereâs nothing forced about BabâAziz; its ideas resonate quietly, building to a breathtaking climax.â âSheri Linden, LA Times âTunisian filmmaker Nacer Khemir spins an exquisite, mystical tone poem of a film⦠the arrival of BabâAziz - The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul is, to misuse a dervish cliché, something worth singing and dancing about.â âPhil Hall, Film Threat âAn Arabian dream that weaves timeless story threads with mystical and Sufi elements into a beautiful film objectâ¦..as fascinating as reading a new chapter of 1,001 Nights.â âDeborah Young, Variety âWatching it is like entering another realm in both form and content, which is what makes the film so intriguing, especially in this day and age of the so-called âclash of civilizationsâ between Islam and the West.â âEd Rampell, Los Angeles Journal Produced by Cyriac Auriol .... producer Karl Baumgartner .... co-producer Lauraine Heftler .... assistant producer András Muhi .... co-producer Ali Reza Shoja-Nuri .... producer Original Music by Armand Amar Cinematography by Mahmoud Kalari Film Editing by Isabelle Rathery Casting by Leila Fournier Sarah Teper Costume Design by Maud Perl Production Management Asen Kanchev .... music production manager Second Unit Director or Assistant Director Benjamin Blanc .... assistant director Iraj Habashi .... second assistant director: Iran Amin Mahdavi .... first assistant director Art Department Majid Mir-fakhrai .... artistic advisor Issa Traverdian .... props: Iran Sound Department Ahmad Ardalan .... boom operator: Iran Bahman Ardalan .... sound (as Bahman Bani Ardalan) Franck Desmoulins .... sound editor Séverin Favriau .... sound editor Amir-Hossein Ghasemi .... sound editor Steve Higgs .... sound Róbert Juhász .... sound re-recording mixer Anne Maisonhaute .... foley recordist Stuart Wilson .... sound Visual Effects by Manfred Büttner .... visual effects producer Erich Eder .... visual effects supervisor Yves Göbel .... digital effects artist Daniel Lo Iacono .... digital effects artist Sandra Moll .... visual effects producer Heiko Schweizer .... digital effects artist Camera and Electrical Department Shahrad Banki .... still photographer Mondher El Gaied .... grip: Tunisia Editorial Department Nicolas Novak .... post-production assistant Béraud Valentine .... post-production coordinator Other crew Fethi Baccouchi .... location manager Monica Donati .... unit publicist Margaret Dowling .... accountant: Britain Hosni Mihol .... caterer: Tunisia