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Tunis, summer 2010 and Farah, 18 years-old, has just graduated and her family already sees her as a future doctor. But she doesn’t think the same way. She sings in a political rock band, has a passion for life, gets drunk, discovers love and her city by night against the will of her mother Hayet, who knows Tunisia and its dangers too well.
Every now and then, a movie about a revolution that changes the world as a person knows it comes along. Leyla Bouzid’s directorial debut, Arabic/French feature “As I Open My Eyes,” is not one of those movies. Instead of an expected, intense portrayal of the events that led up to the Tunisian, or Jasmine, Revolution, the film narrows in on one of many Tunisian youth, and her struggle to be free to be herself in a nation, and a family, that doesn’t approve. It is, thus, one of few movies that highlights the catalyst(s) for change rather than the Big Bang itself, so to speak.
Set in 2010, pre-revolution Tunis, Tunisia, the tale follows Farah, an 18-year-old teen who just wants the simple things in life – to do what she pleases, when she pleases, and with whom she pleases. Sounds as simple a concept as freedom, but freedom is only an illusion in Tunis, and Farah can only go on living on her own terms for so long before the dangers of being too free, which is of course decided by the government, catch up to her.
Performances by the cast are impeccably natural, making the film the most believable it can be. The editing could be better (as in the movie could have been shorter), but is still excellent, and that’s saying something. As for Bouzid as director, she is nearly flawless, and holds a promising future in filmmaking.
The story is a fairly simple one – one that perhaps doesn’t have too much value in today’s day and age if taken out of its pre-revolution-life-in-Tunisia context. It is also not for the average commercial cinema fan, but the film is captivating nonetheless. For someone seeking content specific to the modern culture, lifestyles, struggles, and pre-revolution conditions of the North African nation, “As I Open My Eyes” is gold.
Going into the theater without any contextual knowledge about the movie is probably a bad idea, as the movie itself just barely, if at all, suggests the revolution to come in the nation, and might leave the viewer yearning to see the bigger picture. However, some stories are deeper than they seem on the surface–they gain value as an afterthought rather than during the experience–and Bouzid’s feature is definitely one of those gems.
Opens Friday, September 9th in New York (Lincoln Plaza cinemas) & September 30th in Los Angeles (Laemmle Royal Theatre), with a national release to follow
