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Mé el Aïn

Who Do I Belong To
Competition 2024
© Tanit Films, Midi La Nuit, Instinct Bleu
Aïcha is gifted with prophetic dreams. She lives on a farm in northern Tunisia with her husband Brahim and their three sons. Aïcha and Brahim’s world is turned upside down when their two eldest boys, Mehdi and Amine, go off to war. Having lived up to this point solely for their children, the parents now find themselves in a new and painful reality. A few months later, Mehdi returns home with a pregnant wife named Reem whose niqab and silence deeply unsettle Brahim. Aïcha, on the other hand, welcomes Mehdi and Reem into the family home and vows to protect them at all costs. Mehdi’s return triggers strange events in the village. Aïcha is so consumed with protecting her son that, at first, she barely notices the rising fear in the community. She must face the limits of her maternal love to counteract the growing darkness.
by Meryam Joobeur
with Salha Nasraoui, Mohamed Hassine Grayaa, Malek Mechergui, Adam Bessa, Dea Liane, Rayen Mechergui, Chaker Mechergui Tunisia / France / Canada 2024 Arabic 117’ Colour World premiere | Debut film

With

  • Salha Nasraoui (Aïcha)
  • Mohamed Hassine Grayaa (Brahim)
  • Malek Mechergui (Mehdi)
  • Adam Bessa (Bilal)
  • Dea Liane (Reem)
  • Rayen Mechergui (Adam)
  • Chaker Mechergui (Amine)

Crew

Director Meryam Joobeur
Screenplay Meryam Joobeur
Cinematography Vincent Gonneville
Editing Maxime Mathis, Meryam Joobeur
Music Peter Venne
Sound Aymen Labidi, Gwennolé Le Borgne, Elias Boughedir, Niels Barletta
Production Design Mohamed Ilyes Dargouth
Costumes Salah Barka
Make-Up Nadia Ayed
Producers Nadim Cheikhrouha, Sarra Ben Hassen, Maria Gracia Turgeon, Annick Blanc, Meryam Joobeur
Co-Producers Vincent Dupuis, Victor Lech, Baptiste Leroy, Ramsis Mahfoudh, Dyveke Bjørkly Graver, Andrea Berentsen Ofmar
Co-Production 1888 Films Paris
Godolphin Films Tunis
Eye Eye Pictures Oslo
in collaboration with Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia

World Sales

Luxbox

http://www.luxboxfilms.com http://www.luxboxfilms.com

Produced by

Instinct Bleu

Tanit Films

Midi La Nuit

http://www.midilanuit.com/ http://www.midilanuit.com/

Photos

Press Conference

Red Carpet

Meryam Joobeur

© Simone Sapia

Mé el Aïn is the director’s debut feature film. Her shorts Gods, Weeds and Revolutions and Born in the Maelstrom both screened at international film festivals. Her Oscar-nominated short Brotherhood was selected by over 150 festivals and won 75 international awards. In her own words, she believes wholeheartedly in the transformative power of storytelling and hopes that her films can capture the beauty, complexity and universal nature of the human condition.

Filmography

2012 Gods, Weeds and Revolutions; short film 2017 Born in the Maelstrom; short film 2018 Brotherhood; short film 2024 Mé el Aïn (Who Do I Belong To)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2024