The Silences of the Palace is a 1994 Tunisian film written and directed by Moufida Tlatli. It was the first featured-length movie to be directed by a woman in the Arab World

Arab world

The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...

.

Plot

The film is about a 25-year-old woman, Alia, who returns to her place of birth—a prince's palace in which her mother worked as kitchen hand and mistress. As she wanders through the largely abandoned palace she is confronted by childhood memories.

Critical reception

The film received an overwhelming praise from critics and won several international awards.

Awards

• Toronto International Film Festival
  Toronto International Film Festival
  The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
  
  's "International Critics' Award" for 1994.
• Cannes Film Festival
  Cannes Film Festival
  The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
  
   Golden Camera award for 1994.
• Sutherland Trophy
  Sutherland Trophy
  Created in 1958, the Sutherland Trophy was awarded annually by the British Film Institute to "the maker of the most original and imaginative [first or second feature] film introduced at the National Film Theatre during the year"...
  
   award from the British Film Institute
  British Film Institute
  The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
  
   Awards for 1995.
• Golden Tanit of Carthage Film Festival
  Carthage Film Festival
  The Carthage Film Festival is a biannual October film festival hosted by the government of Tunisia. It alternates with the Damascus International Film Festival....
  
   for 1994.
• Golden Tulip award from Istanbul International Film Festival
  Istanbul International Film Festival
  The Istanbul International Film Festival is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts , a non-profit organisation. It is held every year in April in movie theaters in Istanbul, Turkey...
  
  for 1995.