Arab Blues

2020 1h 28m FR

😐

6.1

MID

⭐

6.3

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 253★6.3IMDB · 4,079

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Selma, a psychoanalyst, deals with a cast of colorful new patients after returning home to Tunisia to open a practice.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Golshifteh Farahani
Selma
Hichem Yacoubi
Raouf
Majd Mastoura
Naïm
Aïsha Ben Miled
Olfa
Ramla Ayari
Amel
Fériel Chammari
Baya
Najoua Zouhair
Nour
Jamel Sassi
Fares

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Manele Labidi
Writers: Manele Labidi
Languages: Arabic, French
Countries: France, Tunisia

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Arabic, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Tunisia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Manele Labidi, shot by Laurent Brunet. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Flemming Nordkrog. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Yorgos Lamprinos shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Golshifteh Farahani and Hichem Yacoubi and Majd Mastoura carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Manele Labidi directs. Laurent Brunet behind the camera. Flemming Nordkrog scores. Yorgos Lamprinos cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France, Tunisia. Dialogue in Arabic, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 6 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Arabic, French.
4International production across 2 countries: France, Tunisia.
5Directed by Manele Labidi, shot by Laurent Brunet. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Flemming Nordkrog. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Yorgos Lamprinos shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Golshifteh Farahani and Hichem Yacoubi and Majd Mastoura carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt9648886 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Laurent Brunet
Original score: Flemming Nordkrog
Editing: Yorgos Lamprinos
Production design: Mila Preli
Makeup / hair: Sylvie Aid
Sound: Samuel Aïchoun
Runtime: 88 min · 1h 28m
Status: Released
Original language: FR
Certification (US): AL
IMDB: Arab Blues (2020)
IMDB rating: 6.3/10 · 4,079 votes

Awards

9 nominations

Also by

Manele Labidi

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Tejas Nair2020-11-27
★ 8/10
Arab Blues (A Couch in Tunis) is an instantly likeable film. Its opening shot - about an old man's description of who Sigmund Freud might be from his looks - is charming and so is the story that succeeds it of a young woman (Golshifteh Farahani) coming back to her homeland, Tunisia, from Paris to start a psychoanalysis practice. She knows she will be looked down for it, a testament that she immediately gets from her uncle. But she is independent, courageous, and gritty, and so the film begins. I absolutely loved all the characters and their performances here, especially Farahani, Feryel Chammari, and Aïsha Ben Miled. Each actor is better than the other and I had a sweet time looking at them, delivering beautiful dialogues and acting like it's real life. The social critique is pregnant here but Arab Blues projects itself as a lively comedy about a woman's struggle in modern-day Tunis, a state still marred by backward beliefs and customs, something that is common everywhere. With a supporting soundtrack, adequate humour, and the ability to keep you engaged, Arab Blues is easily one of the most pleasant comedies you will see this year. Glad I sat down and considered EUFF. Grade A-. (Watched at the 2020 European Union Film Festival of India (EUFF).)

Production companies