For this 24th edition, the JTC opens in all sobriety. Syrian singer Lynn Adib first performed a sad, nostalgic song, without instruments. For her second performance, she was accompanied by two string instruments and a flute to sing "a song of mourning". It's a moment of celebration, of course, but Palestine and the massacre in Gaza are still fresh in people's minds.
"The theatre has always been and will remain a stage for the voice of just causes and human dignity, including the Palestinian cause" - Moez Mrabet, Artistic Director.
Poems by a young Gazan, Haydar Ghazali, and by Mahmoud Darwich were read by Tunisian actor Raouf Ben Amor and Lebanese actress Hanen Haj Ali at the inauguration.
In all, 62 shows from 28 countries will be delighting audiences in Tunis until 10 December.