Feature FilmsWater RumoursChild Of The SunDance Of The WindWedding Of The MoonLayla, My ReasonThe Shadow Of The Earth
Short FilmsMy Village, A Village Among OthersThe Thread Of Oumou SyThe strength of the youngThe Song Of The Baye FallScreens Of AfricaThe City Of Sciences Of TunisKer Jo OuakamThe Productive FamilyGabes, The Oasis And The FactoryCarthage, Year 12A Time To LearnThe SharecropperVisit To The Forefather MarabouIbn Sina Opera, The Making-Of
The Shadow Of The Earth
Feature Film - 1982
- Director
- Taïeb Louhichi
- Cast
- Mouna Noureddine
- Despina Tomazani
- Helene Catzaras
- Rached Khemis
- Director of photography
- Ramon Suarez
- Sound engineer
- Faouzi Thabet
- Music
- Egisto Macchi
- Setting
- Nacer Khemir
- Editor
- Moufida Tlatli
- Producer
- Taïeb Louhichi
- Executive Producer
- Lotfi Layouni
- Jacques Ristori
- Production
- Tanit Production
- Satpec
- Les films Molière
- ZDF
- NCO
- Arabic titleظل الأرض
- French titleL'Ombre De La Terre
- Length85'
- GenreDrama
- CountryTunisia, France
- Format35mm colour, Digital Beta and Beta SP
- Originale VersionArabic subtitled in French and in English, dubbed in Italian
This film follows the last members of an isolated border encampment. The patriarch of the community lives in one of the four tents that make up the entirety of the camp, along with a sheepfold. The three other tents are inhabited by the patriarch’s son and nephews along with their families.
Their wheat provisions are slowly running out, and their cattle, stricken by an unknown disease, is dying. The patriarch’s sons leave the community and head north to join the army or to try their luck abroad. The patriarch and his daughter-in-law are the only ones left at the camp until she too must leave; she travels to the capital to say goodbye to her husband, deceased while looking for work abroad.
This film is the chronicle of a community threatened by the curses of nature, threats from across the border and central powers. It is also a beautiful visual poem that brings back to life, through human memory, the legend of Arab and foreign invaders.
Their wheat provisions are slowly running out, and their cattle, stricken by an unknown disease, is dying. The patriarch’s sons leave the community and head north to join the army or to try their luck abroad. The patriarch and his daughter-in-law are the only ones left at the camp until she too must leave; she travels to the capital to say goodbye to her husband, deceased while looking for work abroad.
This film is the chronicle of a community threatened by the curses of nature, threats from across the border and central powers. It is also a beautiful visual poem that brings back to life, through human memory, the legend of Arab and foreign invaders.
- Selected at the Critic's Week (Cannes, 1982)
- UNESCO's prize and Ecumenical mention at Cannes
- First Prize at the African Cinema Days of Montreal
- First Prize at Orbetello's Festival (Italie)
- Italian Critic and City prize à Taormina
- Selected in Valencia, Alexandria and San Francisco
- Selected at London's Film Festival and Göteborg
- Golden Dukat – 31ème Mannheim International Film Festival, 1982
- Jury's Special Award à Arte Mare – Festival du Film Méditerranéen, Bastia
- Jury's Special Award au 13ème Moscou International Film Festival, 1983
- City's Award and Italian Critics' Award – Taormina International FilmFest, 1983
- Best Scenario's Award and Golden Handle – 8th FESPACO, Ouagadougou, 1983
- 2nd Prize at la Mostra de Valencia – Cinema del Mediterrani, 1982