TUNIS: The 27th edition of Carthage Film Festival opened on Friday with the screening of ‘Fleur d’Alep’ (The Flower of Aleppo) by Tunisian director Ridha Behi in Tunis.
There are 68 films in competition in various sections until Nov. 5, with screenings and other events in various locations across the country. The program has been put together by film director Mohamed Challouf, who has been tasked with restoring the festival to its original splendour in honor of its 50th anniversary this year.
A total of 18 films will participate in the feature film competition (Gold Tanit Award), which this year is headed by Mauritanian filmmaker and producer Abderrahmane Sissako. The jury comprises six other members among them Egyptian director Khaled Youssef.
As for the short film competition, it comprises 19 films, including Saudi film ‘Retribution’ by Abdullah Abuljadail.
In addition, a total of 13 films are competing in the first feature film category, among them the prize-winning Saudi romcom ‘Barakah Meets Barakah’ by Mahmoud Sabbagh.
Novelties include numerous parallel sections, homages to directors of the past, an overview of prizewinning films from previous editions and a special focus on Russian and Asian cinema. A special prize will be awarded to Tunisian director Ferid Boughdir for his passion for cinema and commitment to the Carthage Film Festival.
Saudi cinema strongly present at Carthage
Saudi cinema strongly present at Carthage
Vietnam police find frozen tiger bodies, arrest two men
Vietnamese police have found two dead tigers inside freezers in a man’s basement, arresting him and another for illicit trade in the endangered animal, the force said Saturday.
The Southeast Asian country is a consumption hub and popular trading route for illegal animal products, including tiger bones which are used in traditional medicine.
Police in Thanh Hoa province, south of the capital Hanoi, said they had found the frozen bodies ot two adult tigers, weighing about 400 kilograms (882 pounds) in total, in the basement of 52-year-old man Hoang Dinh Dat.
In a statement posted online, police said the man told officers he had bought the animals for two billion dong ($77,000), identifying the seller as 31-year-old Nguyen Doan Son.
Both had been arrested earlier this week, police said.
According to the statement, the buyer had equipment to produce so-called tiger bone glue, a sticky substance believed to heal skeletal ailments.
Tigers used to roam Vietnam’s forests, but have now disappeared almost entirely.
