The Shipherd of the Stars

Meet Amadeus, a charming 50-year-old Italian antique dealer, who finds himself smitten with the stunning Tunisian beauty, Betty (Badra), a woman much his junior. But as their relationship blossoms, a new challenge arises – the in-laws smell opportunity, envisioning a wealthy, doting son-in-law. And an Imam throws a curveball, demanding Amadeus undergo circumcision and convert to Islam. In this cross-cultural clash, will the power of love prevail, or will tradition and family obligations tear the couple apart?

In December 2010, the people of Tunisia, frustrated by unemployment, economic instability, government corruption, and a steady erosion of individual rights, began widespread protests against president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who had been the nation's leader since taking office in a coup d'etat in 1987. By the end of January 2011, Ben Ali had been swept from office, and a new democratic government had been voted in. Filmmaker Mourad Ben Cheikh followed the revolution as it took place, and this documentary was the first film to reach theaters on Ben Ali's overthrow and the uprising that brought new leadership to Tunisia. The film features newsreel footage of the demonstrations, interviews with a number of the key players in the movement, contributions from Tunisians of all walks of life on the abuses of the old regime and their hopes for the future, and a look at an artist creating a collage that will tell the story of this key event in the Arab Spring of 2011.