Arab Blues

Movies
Arab Blues
3 min reading

Well everywhere but at home is best? The comedy "Arab Blues" reminds us that coming back home is not always easy. This is the case of Selma, brought up in France, who decides to return to Tunisia to open a psychoanalytical clinic. On the spot, however, it turns out that not only is no one waiting for her there, but her profession and lifestyle seem somewhat suspicious even for her closest relatives. Cultural differences generate a series of mistakes and misunderstandings, which debuting director Manele Labidi defuses with humor with humor. Independent, unmarried, living on her own terms, Selma is a thorn in the eye of the conservative family and local authorities. Wearing his favorite jeans and with a cigarette in his mouth, he quickly traverses the streets, corridors and rooms, discovering not only the absurdities of local law, but also his own identity. The charisma, charm and screen magnetism of the lead role star Golshifteh Farahani (the star of Jim Jarmusch's Paterson and Asghar Farhadi's What You Know About Elly) make us cheer for the psychoanalyst's crazy plans from the very beginning. We also cheer on her successive patients who - brought up in an oppressive culture - finally admit the right to depression, anxiety and being who they really are. Sunny, full of light and juicy colors, the comedy Manele Labidi tells about the universal conflict of tradition and modernity, as well as collective and individual. Tunisia, shown in Arab Blues, is recovering from the Arab Spring and needs group therapy like never before. And the film in a warm, light and witty tone emphasizes that there are no political revolutions without a daily moral revolt: against parents, school, politicians, rules so rigid that they do not let you breathe. And he reminds that humor has always been the best therapy.