Crossing Over

Wahid and his daughter Soufiya return to Tunisia after a long stay in West Africa.Wahid would like to transform Soufiya into a real Tunisian, a true daughter of their land, but the country has changed a lot in there absence.

The story of an old man who is losing his grip on reality, fighting to keep his memory in spite of the fast moving society in which he lives.

Weekly current affairs show

"Together with Jean-Pierre we've produced 'Fatwa', from Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud, a Tunesian living in Belgium. The film tells the story of a father who returns to Tunesia to bury his son who died from an apparent suicide. The scenario had repeatedly been rejected by some French producers because the film supposedly stated that the murderers are among us. Mahmoud, who knows a lot about Muslim culture and knew the Muslim recruiters who are at the origin of Sharia4Belgium, said to me: "That's crazy, they don't understand what's happening." And that was in 2008." (Luc Dardenne)

Mahfoud is a young teacher at a technical school in Algiers. Using his technical and computer skills, he refurbishes an old weaving loom that he intends to present at an international inventors’ conference in Germany. However, his travel plans are thwarted by administrative obstacles. Meanwhile, his neighbors keep a close eye on him, especially the elderly M’nouar, marked by the terrible memories of the Algerian War. He sees everything and everyone with suspicion. As far as he is concerned, Mahfoud has no good intentions—he may even be involved in subversive activities. Naturally, it does not help that Mahfoud is in a relationship with Samia, a young psychiatrist who has returned to the country after studying in Belgium. She challenges local norms and breaks taboos that unsettle those around her. In the end, Mahfoud manages to obtain a visa to attend the international fair. His invention wins a prize, and when he returns home, he receives a very different kind of welcome.

In 1977, Kh'lil Khalsawi, a law professor in Tunisia, under the ruling party's instructions, is asked to represent them in a league of human rights that has been founded not long ago.