AFAC Film Nights: Challat of Tunis

Part of a monthly series of screenings showcasing filmmakers from the Arab World, in partnership with the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC).

Challat of Tunis
Dir. Kaouther Ben Hania, 2013
Color, 89’
In Arabic with English subtitles

Challat of Tunis is a documentary/mockumentary that revisits the legend surrounding Challat, a moped rider who prowled the streets of Tunis in 2003, razorblade in hand, slashing the buttocks of women. The specter of Challat – an oral distortion of Gillette, the famous razor blade brand – temporarily changed the dress code of Tunisian women, who didn’t dare venture out in tight jeans or short skirts. Sidewalks were deserted and the mere sound of a moped provoked unrest. Challat became a mysterious figure fueling both passions and tensions; a myth that evoked fascination, fantasy, and terror.

Kaouther Ben Hania studied cinema in Tunisia and in Paris (FEMIS and the Sorbonne). Challat of Tunis, her first feature film, opened the ACID section at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014. Her latest documentary, Zaineb Hates the Snow, shot over 6 years between Tunisia and Canada, premiered in the official selection at Locarno Film Festival 2016 and won several awards, including the Carthage Film Festival 2016 Golden Tanit. Her new feature film, Beauty and the Dogs, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2017 official selection.