Q&A: Hidden Beauties

• October 18, 2012
• Article

What inspired you to make this film? Talk to us about its development and the creation of the characters.
Well, I've researched this topic extensively and had conversations with many women about the topic. I was on the jury at the Cairo Film Festival, and one of my female friends (who is not veiled) was harassed on the street by men as if she was their possession and they had every right to her body.

This incident really angered me and inspired my story, so when I spoke to her about it she was very keen; however Egypt rejected the concept. They felt it was too controversial and against Islamic beliefs to have a film like that made there, so I moved the story to Tunis.

The film was initially supposed to be called Mille-feuille, which is the sweet that the girls are making in the film. However, once the revolution in Tunisia started, I decided to add a political storyline to it, and that really saved the film. The revolution brought this film to life and moved it forward as it had become the most popular topic. Once that happened I had to tweak the script and change the characters' focus so that they are caught up in the fighting, and as such the title of the film changed as well.

Can you tell us a little more about the role of the blind accordionist, what he symbolised and why you chose to personally take on that role?
When the revolution had just started, I was hurt and beat up. I was then sent death threats, and there were musicians who went to sing songs about me being the 'enemy of Islam'. But I'm not. I don't have a problem with Islam, but I do have a problem with people who abuse it. So I added the role of the accordionist, because I wanted a musician adding an element of song to represent the revolution. In the film, because of the songs he sings, the accordionist is attacked.

The reason I decided to take on that role myself was because I wanted to spite all those people sending me death threats, all those people singing about me and calling me the enemy of Islam. It was a form of retort to all those people who are against me, and it created quite a stir - especially on social media.

When I tried to sue, the judge told me that Facebook is not substantial evidence they can use to prosecute people or move the case forward.

As for making him blind, I honestly don't know. It wasn't meant to symbolize anything in specific, but I liked the idea of having a blind musician on the streets of Tunis. In fact, one of the many scenes that were cut out in the making of the film, he says one of my favourite lines: "What I see, no one else can see."

How do you think the film will be received? Do you worry that some people might take it as an attack on their person - men specifically?
To be honest, I find that dramatic films, or films in general, should be made with no expectations. I don't know how this film will be received, and I would rather not think about it. If I were to sit there and try to think about what or how people will react, I would never get anything made! My way of doing things is by saying everything I want to say, doing everything I want to do, but cleverly. I get my message across without breaking any rules or laws, so no one can hold it against me. That's my style, and it tends to offend people, or at least bring out strong reactions in people.

My goal with this film is to try and showcase that the wearing of the veil, the practice of Islam, and every other choice is one that is personal. Respect personal choices, respect other cultures, respect people. Respect is key.

How has the Tunisian revolution changed you, and how has it affected your perspective with regards to making films?
I never make a film without including current world situations. The film, initially, had absolutely nothing to do with the revolution, but once the events took place, I quickly changed the script to include it, because I knew it was important. It was monumental.

I hope I can say this in a way that you would understand, but personally, I have been revolting for over 30 years. I was jailed for five years due to my political activities, so to me, this revolution hasn't changed anything in me. The only thing that has changed is that now, people have finally caught up with me. The younger generation especially, has finally caught up to me as I was already there, far, far ahead of everyone.

For the first time, the people of Tunisia say what they want without fear. They are not afraid anymore, but that doesn't mean there is no danger from some political parties who still try to suffocate the people.

However, I also think the people of Tunisia are experiencing an "overdose" of freedom, which is completely normal in a situation like this. They have so much freedom now that they don't know where to draw the line, how to respect each other and create boundaries. This involves even little things like respecting traffic rules! But this is just a phase, and it will pass with time, I'm sure.

How do you choose the topics of your films, and why do they always tend to lean on the side of controversy?
When someone reaches a certain age in life, and experiences so much in their life, things start to come naturally to you. The films I make, I don't think about.

I want to achieve independence, not only politically, but independence of thought, independence of religion, independence of culture. In my selection of films, I always search for important topics. Topics that people are afraid to discuss or bring to light. Topics that you wouldn't concern yourself with on a day-to-day basis, but that are integral to our society, such as prostitution, young girls being taken and made to work in people's homes, terrorism, torture, tyranny, abuse, imprisonment, religion and so on.

I want to open the door for those issues to come out. I want to start this revolution, not because I want to offend anyone or make people angry, but because this is the only solution. For progress in our society, this has to happen. I'm the kind of man who always stands with the underdogs, the tortured, the wronged and the oppressed. And so in my films, I always take their perspective and make sure their voices are heard.

Nouri, do you hope for change? How do you go about achieving that?
This is a very small contribution on a much larger scale. Of course I hope for change, but let's not give cinema more credit than it deserves, especially in the Arab world.

What we build with our films, other Arabic contributions destroy due to them following all the political and social constraints by governments. If I were to make a film that would actually make a change, I would not be able to show it anywhere in the Arab world!

I try, but in the end there's not much we can do with just making films. You can only try.

Hidden Beauties world premieres at Emirates Palace on Monday 15 October at 9:30 pm and at VOX cinemas on Thursday 18 October at 2:00 pm.

Suad Shamma