Change Your Image
massir-49885
In 2006, she won the Most Promising Blog Prize at the Tunisia Blog Awards and in the following year, she won the first place jury prize.
In more recent years, she has been writing about cinema and she has published on the subject in Tunisian, Egyptian and African newspapers (Tunis Hebdo, Al Akhbar and Al Ahram) and in online magazines and websites, including Webdo.tn, Tourismag.com, Uima20.com, Film International and Africiné Magazine.
She has covered various film festivals, particularly Cannes Film Festival (since 2013), Carthage Film Festival (since 2010), Cairo International Film Festival (since 2016), El Gouna Film Festival, Luxor African Film Festival, Malmö Arab Film Festival, Aswan International Women Film Festival …
In October 2017, she was a jury member of the Cinéalma Festival (France).
In 2019, she co-hosted the radio program “Cinemascope” on the Tunisian radio RTCI (which is a national radio whose programs are in French and / or English).
In 2020, she was one of the 70 film critics to have selected the 100 best films by Arab women of all time, the list of which was revealed during the 5th edition of the Aswan International Women Film Festival (Egypt).
In April 2021, she created a facebook group for female film lovers "Pink popcorn", to encourage them to discuss films and and to go to the cinema. In addition, from time to time, discussions via Zoom were organized between cinema professionals and the members of the group.
In September 2021, she was member of the independent commission for the selection of Tunisian fiction films which will be in official competition at the 32 edition of the Carthage Film Festival (Tunisia).
In February 2022, she was the President of the Critic Jury - feature film competition of the 26th edition of the International Festival of Author Cinema in Rabat (Marocco).
In November 2022, she became an active member of the Tunisian Association for the Promotion of Film Critics (ATPCC), which is a member association of FIPRESCI (the International Federation of Film Critics). Since August 2023, she herself has become a member of FIPRESCI, further solidifying her engagement with the global film criticism community.
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
PK (2014)
Challenging Beliefs: A Thought-Provoking Take on God in the Film 'PK
P. K., an Indian film released in 2014 and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, starring Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma in the lead roles, is a satirical, romantic, philosophical, and provocative comedy that humorously and deeply addresses the theme of religion.
The film tells the story of an alien named P. K. who lands in the Indian desert and has his medallion/remote control stolen, which he needs to return home. Desperate, he realizes that only God can help him find his belongings. His innocence, naivety, and naive questions lead him to navigate through the various religions present in India (mainly Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Sikhism), highlighting the absurdities, contradictions, and deceptions of these beliefs.
P. K. Is a character who is devoid of prejudices and sees the world with innocent eyes, allowing the film to highlight the absurdity of certain religious practices that may seem natural to those who practice them. The film uses humor to gently mock the habits and customs of each religion, but it also addresses deeper philosophical questions, questioning the distorted teachings for personal gain by some preachers.
One of the strengths of the film is Aamir Khan's performance as P. K. He perfectly embodies the character of the innocent alien and brings an emotional dimension to his interpretation. His presence on screen is captivating, and he manages to communicate a lot with his facial expressions and body language.
PK is also a courageous film in the Indian context, a country where religion holds an important place in society. The film denounces religious practices without offending believers, thanks to the use of humor and P. K.'s candid perspective. It raises important questions about gullibility, greed, and the exploitation of fear and ignorance of people in the name of religion, while offering deep reflection on the search for God and true spirituality.
The film also addresses themes such as love, friendship, and self-discovery, through the relationship between P. K. and the journalist played by Anushka Sharma. Their journey in discovering the truth and questioning their personal beliefs adds an emotional dimension to the film.
Upon its release in 2014, P. K. became the highest-grossing film in the history of Bollywood, surpassing all box office records. However, since then, other films have surpassed its success, and as of March 2023, it was ranked eighth among the highest-grossing films in India.
Despite its commercial success, P. K. has also sparked controversies and protests from certain religious groups in India. Complaints have been filed and calls for boycott and censorship of the film have been launched by Hindu organizations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which accused the film of hurting their religious sentiments. However, the Supreme Court of India rejected the demand for a ban on the film, stating that it should not waste its time on such baseless arguments.
Would such a film be possible in Tunisia? Obviously not, as some people would not be able to conceive of mocking religious practices, especially those related to Islam. And of course, the preachers who speak in the name of God would certainly not appreciate being exposed. They would cry sacrilege and heresy to have such a film banned.
While the film mocks religious practices, especially those who call themselves "Men of God," at no point does it question the existence of a God. I actually appreciated this quote, spoken by PK to a preacher: "Which God should I believe? You all say that, it's only one God. I say, no... there are two gods. One is the one who created us all. The other one is the one created by people like you. We know nothing about the God who made us all. But the God people like you made is exactly like you... liar, pretend to act, giving false promises, meeting rich people sooner, letting the poor neglected, happy when get praised... People are afraid to even say a word. My right number is very simple, the God who created us all, put faith in Him. And the God like you created, the duplicate God, destroy it".
Fan (2016)
"Fan" is a fascinating work that explores the complex relationship between a star and his fan
"My success, I owe it to others, what I am and where I am today, it's thanks to my fans, without them, I am nothing," declared Aryan Khanna (or Shah Rukh Khan??) at the beginning of the film "Fan."
"Fan" is a fascinating work that explores the complex relationship between a star and his fan. Directed by Maneesh Sharma, it stars Shah Rukh Khan in the dual role of Bollywood superstar Aryan Khanna and his biggest fan, Gaurav Chandna.
The story of "Fan" follows Gaurav Chandna, a young man passionate about Aryan Khanna since childhood. He idolizes the star and knows everything about him, from his films to his daily habits. He dreams of meeting his idol and being recognized by him. However, when Gaurav finally meets Aryan, things take an unexpected turn. Aryan is not as friendly as Gaurav had imagined, and the obsessive fan quickly becomes a danger to the life of the star.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the film is Shah Rukh Khan's extraordinary performance in both roles. The actor worked hard to bring to life two very different characters, and the result is stunning. The makeup used to transform Shah Rukh Khan into Gaurav is also very successful, making the actor unrecognizable.
Beyond Shah Rukh Khan's exceptional performance, "Fan" raises profound questions about the relationship between stars and their fans and highlights the blurry boundaries of this relationship and the dangers it can present to both parties. The film specifically explores the themes of identification with stars, the obsession of some fans who lose their own personality and live vicariously, devotion and loneliness, as well as the limits of celebrity. Should the star be available to his fans at all times or does he have the right to lead his own life? How far should fans go to satisfy their need for proximity to their idol? Where is the line between the fan and the obsessed? These are questions raised by the film, which does not provide ready-made answers but rather invites the viewer to reflect.
The film "Fan" is also interesting and even very intriguing because Shah Rukh Khan put himself at risk, exposing himself and his image, as it is easy to identify him with Aryan, who is almost identical to him. Starting with the name Aryan Khanna, indeed Aryan is the name of Shah Rukh's son and it is obvious that Khanna is inspired by Khan. Furthermore, Aryan lives in Shah Rukh's real house, and the 20-meter-high fence that protects Aryan's house is the real fence that protects Shah Rukh's house, which sometimes gives the impression that the actor lives in a high-security prison. The two stars lead the same life and have the same habits. For example, Aryan, just like Shah Rukh, climbs to the top of his house's fence on his birthday and on certain holidays to greet his fans. The two stars have exactly the same behavior and postures. What is the part of Shah Rukh Khan's life in Aryan's life and vice versa?
In fact, there is a real confusion between the star Shah Rukh and the star Aryan. This is not accidental; it is intended by the director, probably to give the film more credibility and realism. But was it also intended by Shah Rukh Khan? One might wonder because as a fan, we are led to ask ourselves if we really want to be a fan of this star as shown in the film.
It is obvious that by playing this role, Shah Rukh Khan took the risk of tarnishing his own image, as Aryan is not particularly likeable or even sincere. At the beginning of the film, in an interview, Aryan declares that he belongs to his fans, yet he refuses to give five minutes of his time to his fan. What is the balance of sincerity and lies in what stars say? Can we blame them for wanting to devote themselves to their own lives?
But on the other hand, doesn't the fact that Shah Rukh Khan took this risk show his courage and willingness to question himself and his status as a star and idol?
Although the film is very successful in exploring the relationship between stars and their fans, there is still a flaw: the long chase scenes that detract from it a bit. This gives the impression that "Fan" becomes an action film, whereas it would have been preferable for the film to remain more focused on the psychology of the characters.