Bab'Aziz
Encyclopedia
Bab'Aziz, or, Bab'Aziz: Le prince qui contemplait son âme (Bab'Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul) is a 2005 film by Tunisian
writer and director Nacer Khemir
. It stars Parviz Shahinkhou, Maryam Hamid, Hossein Panahi
, Nessim Khaloul, Mohamed Graïaa, Maryam Mohaid and Golshifteh Farahani
. It was filmed in Iran and Tunisia.
, Bab'Aziz (Parviz Shahinkhou), and his granddaughter, Ishtar (Maryam Hamid), who - while traveling across the desert towards an immense Sufi
gathering - encounter several strangers who relate the stories of their own mysterious and spiritual quests.
Bab'Aziz is the third part of Khemir's "Desert Trilogy," which also comprises his 1984 Les baliseurs du désert (Wanderers of the Desert) and 1991 Le collier perdu de la colombe (The Dove's Lost Necklace). The three films share structural elements and themes drawn from Islamic
mysticism and classical Arab culture, as well as an isolated desert setting. Khemir has said:
Bab'Aziz is particularly concerned with Sufi themes. Khemir has stated that he wished to show, in the film, "an open, tolerant and friendly Islamic culture, full of love and wisdom . . . an Islam that is different from the one depicted by the media in the aftermath of 9/11," and that the unusual structure of the film was a deliberate attempt to imitate the structure of Sufi visions and dances, aimed at allowing the spectator "forget about his own ego and to put it aside in order to open up to the reality of the world."
reports that 58% of 24 critics have given the film a positive review. Boston Globe critic Michael Hardy found fault with Khemir's "well-meaning attempt to correct Western misconceptions of Islam," complaining that the film "is set in the present, but resolutely ignores current events in favor of pervasive nostalgia for the glorious past." However, Matt Zoller Seitz of the New York Times praised it as "a structurally audacious fairy tale that imparts moral lessons and shows how narratives reflect and shape life."
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
writer and director Nacer Khemir
Nacer Khemir
Nacer Khemir , born in 1948 in Korba, Tunisia, is a Tunisian writer, artist, storyteller, and filmmaker.-Biography:From an early age, Khemir was fascinated by classical Arabic culture and by storytelling...
. It stars Parviz Shahinkhou, Maryam Hamid, Hossein Panahi
Hossein Panahi
Hossein Panahi Dezhkooh was an Iranian actor and poet.-Films:# Bab'Aziz # Ghessé hayé kish # Ruz-e vagh'e # Mard-e na-tamam # Mohajeran # Avinar...
, Nessim Khaloul, Mohamed Graïaa, Maryam Mohaid and Golshifteh Farahani
Golshifteh Farahani
Golshifteh Farahani is a Crystal-Simorgh winning Iranian actress and pianist.- Early life :Golshifteh Farahani was born on 10 July 1983 in Tehran, the daughter of actor/theater director Behzad Farahani and his spouse, Fahime Rahiminia and sister of actress Shaghayegh Farahani. She started studying...
. It was filmed in Iran and Tunisia.
Summary and themes
The film's complex and nonlinear narrative chiefly centers around the journey of a blind dervishDervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
, Bab'Aziz (Parviz Shahinkhou), and his granddaughter, Ishtar (Maryam Hamid), who - while traveling across the desert towards an immense Sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
gathering - encounter several strangers who relate the stories of their own mysterious and spiritual quests.
Bab'Aziz is the third part of Khemir's "Desert Trilogy," which also comprises his 1984 Les baliseurs du désert (Wanderers of the Desert) and 1991 Le collier perdu de la colombe (The Dove's Lost Necklace). The three films share structural elements and themes drawn from Islamic
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
mysticism and classical Arab culture, as well as an isolated desert setting. Khemir has said:
"The desert... evokes the Arabic language, which bears the memory of its origins. In every Arabic word, there is a bit of flowing sand. It is also one of the main sources of Arabic love poetry. In all three of my movies... the desert is a character in itself."
Bab'Aziz is particularly concerned with Sufi themes. Khemir has stated that he wished to show, in the film, "an open, tolerant and friendly Islamic culture, full of love and wisdom . . . an Islam that is different from the one depicted by the media in the aftermath of 9/11," and that the unusual structure of the film was a deliberate attempt to imitate the structure of Sufi visions and dances, aimed at allowing the spectator "forget about his own ego and to put it aside in order to open up to the reality of the world."
Cast
- Parviz Shahinkhou as Bab'Aziz
- Maryam Hamid as Ishtar
- Hossein PanahiHossein PanahiHossein Panahi Dezhkooh was an Iranian actor and poet.-Films:# Bab'Aziz # Ghessé hayé kish # Ruz-e vagh'e # Mard-e na-tamam # Mohajeran # Avinar...
as Red Dervish - Nessim Khaloul as Zaid
- Mohamed Graïaa as Osman
- Golshifteh FarahaniGolshifteh FarahaniGolshifteh Farahani is a Crystal-Simorgh winning Iranian actress and pianist.- Early life :Golshifteh Farahani was born on 10 July 1983 in Tehran, the daughter of actor/theater director Behzad Farahani and his spouse, Fahime Rahiminia and sister of actress Shaghayegh Farahani. She started studying...
as Nour - Soren Mehrabiar as Dervish
Critical response
Bab'Aziz received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 58% of 24 critics have given the film a positive review. Boston Globe critic Michael Hardy found fault with Khemir's "well-meaning attempt to correct Western misconceptions of Islam," complaining that the film "is set in the present, but resolutely ignores current events in favor of pervasive nostalgia for the glorious past." However, Matt Zoller Seitz of the New York Times praised it as "a structurally audacious fairy tale that imparts moral lessons and shows how narratives reflect and shape life."