ismaël
Still: Black Medusaismaël is a filmmaker, a visual artist, and a writer.
He directed Black Medusa (Tiger Competition, IFFR 2021), Fragments of self-phone-destruction (awarded at Experimental and Different Cinema Festival, Paris 2019), Leila’s Blues (premiered at Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight 2018), Babylon (Grand Prix, FID Marseilles 2012) among others. He also produced The Last of Us (Lion of the Future, Venice 2016).
During the second half of 2023, ismaël finished three new films, among them: Hackers of the Borders, a documentary shot over several years around Syrian refugees in Lebanon (international co-production supported by the CNC, Red Sea Fund, IDFA Bertha Fund).
As a visual artist, he exhibited photography works, video art, printed works, and multimedia installations at several venues. As a writer, he published an essay on Tunisian cinema, a poetry collection (Letters to Death, Toulouse, 2009), and numerous poems, papers, articles, and short essays in both printed and online publications.
After a year of residency in Paris writing the screenplay for his next feature film, he is now back in his hometown Tunis to prep the shoot: a realistic and intimate take on zombie movies set to be shot between Tunisia, France, and Tahiti. It will be ismaël’s fourth feature-length film and his second narrative one.
Filmography
ismaël at IFFR
The Sunflowers of the Moon
2001: Hayet is born and lives secluded in Tunis red-light district with her only friend a talking sphinx cat. 2011 Revolution: Hayet escapes and discovers freedom and life outside the red-light district. 2033: Hayet meets Wahid. After a violent altercation, they befriend each other and together, they discover human relations and emotions.
150'
Tunisia
CM 2024
The Last of Us
95'
Tunisia
IFFR 2017
Black Medusa
Stylised, dark thriller about a young Tunisian woman leading a double life: a contemporary Medusa for the #MeToo era.
96'
Tunisia
IFFR 2021