Aïcha, directed by Mehdi Barsaoui, won the Best Mediterranean Film Award at the 81st Venice Film Festival in 2024, in the Orizzonti section. The film tells the story of Aya, played by Fatma Sfar, a young woman working at a hotel in Tozeur, southern Tunisia.
Trapped in a restrictive environment and under family pressure to marry, her life changes after a bus accident in which she is the sole survivor. She decides to flee to Tunis, adopting a new identity under the name Amina. However, her new life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes a witness to police brutality, putting her safety and newfound freedom at risk.
Mehdi Barsaoui, already acclaimed for his 2019 film Un fils (A Son), continues to explore themes of social issues and individual emancipation in Tunisian society. The film will be presented during its UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2024.