As I Open My Eyes
| As I Open My Eyes | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Leyla Bouzid |
| Written by | Leyla Bouzid Marie-Sophie Chambon |
| Produced by | Sandra da Fonseca |
| Starring | Baya Medhaffer |
| Cinematography | Sébastien Goepfert |
| Edited by | Lilian Corbeille |
| Music by | Khyam Allami |
| Distributed by | Shellac |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Countries | France Tunisia Belgium UAE |
| Languages | Tunisian Arabic French |
As I Open My Eyes (Template:Lang-fr) is a 2015 French-Tunisian drama film directed by Leyla Bouzid. It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.[1] Baya Medhaffar stars as a teenage rock singer. The film is Bouzid's first feature. It was selected as the Tunisian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.[2]
Plot
In the summer of 2010 just before the start of the Jasmine Revolution, Farah joins a rock band as their lead singer. She continues to sing and rebel even as the police begin to follow her and her movements are monitored.
Cast
- Baya Medhaffar as Farah
- Ghalia Benali as Hayet
- Montassar Ayari as Borhėne
Reception
The film received positive reviews upon its release. The critic for Variety called it an "impressive debut" and called Medhaffer's acting "a stand-out lead perf".[3] A critic for Indiewire gave the film a score of A- and called it "the Best Fictional Film Yet About the Arab Spring"[4] The Hollywood Reporter was less enthused about the film criticizing its "mostly familiar notes" but praising the cinematography and acting.[5]
Accolades
| Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumières Awards[6] | Most Promising Actress | Baya Medhaffar | Nominated |
| Best French-Language Film | Nominated | ||
| Venice International Film Festival[7] | BNL People's Choice Award | Won | |
| Europa Cinemas Label Award (Venice Days) | Won |
See also
- List of submissions to the 89th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Tunisian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
- ^ "Sandra Bullock's 'Our Brand Is Crisis,' Robert Redford's 'Truth' to Premiere at Toronto". Variety. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
- ^ "Officiel : 'A peine j'ouvre les yeux' de Leyla Bouzid représentera la Tunisie aux Oscars 2016". Tuniscope. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
- ^ WEISSBERG, JAY. "Film Review: 'As I Open My Eyes'". Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ^ Aftab, Kaleem. "Venice Review: 'As I Open My Eyes' is the Best Fictional Film Yet About the Arab Spring". Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ^ van Hoeij, Boyd. "'As I Open My Eyes' ('A peine j'ouvre les yeux'): Venice Review". Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ^ "Prix Lumières 2016 : Trois souvenirs de ma jeunesse et Mustang en tête des nominations". AlloCiné. 4 January 2016.
- ^ "Palmares 2015". Venice Days.