INTERVIEW: ‘A Son’ writer-director on how he made his first film
Photo: A Son (Un Fils) stars Sami Bouajila and Najla Ben Abdallah. Photo courtesy of Artmattan Films / Provided by Film Forum with permission.
The talk of the indie film world at the moment is A Son (Un Fils), a gripping drama set in Tunisia shortly after the Arab Spring in 2011. The movie, written and directed by Mehdi M. Barsaoui, follows a family who is vacationing in the southeastern portion of the country when a series of attacks by armed Islamic extremists sends them into turmoil. Fares, played by Sami Bouajila, and Meriem, played by Najla Ben Abdallah, must try their hardest to protect their young son, but along the way they must face serious questions of masculinity, human fragility and the violence of the moment.
A Son is Barsaoui’s first film, which is quite the achievement. The movie played the Venice Film Festival before the pandemic, and Bouajila walked away with an award for his performance. He also won the César earlier this year; that’s the French Academy Award. Now audiences can watch the drama at the Film Forum in New York City.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Barsaoui, who was raised in Tunisia and is a graduate of the Higher Institute of Multimedia Arts of Tunis. He has three short films to his name, but A Son is his feature-length debut. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What was the experience like creating your first narrative feature film?
It’s great to be able to make your dreams come true, to see them on the big screen. I will be eternally grateful to the people who believed in me and my first film.
Was the story based on any particular person or incident, or was the story inspired by the unsettled time following the Arab Spring?
I have always questioned the meaning of family ties since I was young. What makes a father, a mother, a child? Is it just a genetic occurrence, or is it more than biology? Also, what is it like to be an Arab man in a changing society. These are all questions that came to feed my desire to make the film.
What was the production like? Was it filmed on location in Tunisia?
The film was shot entirely in Tunisia. The hospital location was created out of several sets in different parts of the country. Some scenes were shot in Tunis, others in Tataouine. The production designer did a tremendous job to make the hospital feel like just one place.
This cast is exquisite. What do you love about Sami Bouajila’s performance?
His fragility. Sami has no problem assuming his flaws. On the contrary, he is inspired by them, and I find it courageous because when you do that, you expose yourself to others.
What do you think the film can teach international audiences? What do you believe are the important takeaways?
The universality of the subject. Whether we are Danish, Panamanian or Indian, I would like us to be able to reflect on the links that unite us, that constitute us. What does it mean to have a child? For me, it goes far beyond biology.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
A Son (Un Fils), written and directed by Mehdi M. Barsaoui, is now playing at the Film Forum in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
