Nacer Khemir ( ar, ناصر خمير), born in 1948 in Korba,

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

, is a Tunisian writer, artist, storyteller, and filmmaker.

Biography

From an early age, Khemir was fascinated by classical Arabic culture and by storytelling. He has cited the

One Thousand and One Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

as a particular influence, saying, "I am a child of these stories." However, in spite of this interest and a similar, lasting passion for film, Khemir initially planned a career as a painter and sculptor - a path he has, throughout his life, continued to pursue; his art has been exhibited at, among other institutions, the

Centre Pompidou The Centre Pompidou (), more fully the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou ( en, National Georges Pompidou Centre of Art and Culture), also known as the Pompidou Centre in English, is a complex building in the Beaubourg area of ...

and the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. In 1966, at the age of eighteen, he was awarded a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

fellowship to study film in Paris. In 1975, he completed his first film, ''L’Histoire du pays du Bon Dieu (The History of God's Country)'', shot in his hometown of Korba and featuring the desert setting and spiritual overtones that would figure prominently in his later work. Released in 1984, his first feature film, '' Les baliseurs du désert (Wanderers of the Desert)'', garnered international acclaim. The film, which tells the story of a schoolteacher's arrival in a strange and haunting desert town, was awarded the Grand Prix at the Festival des Trois Continents. Khemir's second feature, ''Le collier perdu de la colombe (The Dove's Lost Necklace)'', was released in 1991. The dialogue of the film is in

Classical Arabic Classical Arabic ( ar, links=no, ٱلْعَرَبِيَّةُ ٱلْفُصْحَىٰ, al-ʿarabīyah al-fuṣḥā) or Quranic Arabic is the standardized literary form of Arabic used from the 7th century and throughout the Middle Ages, most notab ...

. Its narrative, reminiscent of a

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...

, concerns a young calligrapher in

Al-Andalus Al-Andalus DIN 31635, translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label=Berber languages, Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, ...

who embarks on a quest to find the missing fragments of a manuscript that he believes will reveal to him the secrets of love. ''Le collier perdu de la colombe'' was the recipient of several awards, including a Special Jury Prize at the

Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, sh ...

. ''Les baliseurs du désert'' and ''Le collier perdu de la colombe'' are considered to form the first two parts of a "Desert Trilogy." The third part, '' Bab'Aziz: le prince qui contemplait son âme (Bab'Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul)'' was released in 2005. ''Bab'Aziz'' tells the story of an elderly

dervish Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, ...

who, accompanied by his young granddaughter, encounters several mysterious strangers as he journeys to a large and joyful

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

gathering in the desert. Khemir has described ''Bab'Aziz'' as "a highly political film, and deliberately so," saying:

"I would explain it with this allegory: if you are walking alongside your father and he suddenly falls down, his face in the mud, what would you do? You would help him stand up, and wipe his face with your shirt. My father’s face stands for Islam, and I tried to wipe Islam’s face clean with my movie, by showing an open, tolerant and friendly Islamic culture, full of love and wisdom . . . an Islam that is different from the one depicted by the media in the aftermath of 9/11."

The film was co-produced by eight countries, including Germany, France, Switzerland, and Iran. It was the recipient of a Golden Dagger at the Muscat Film Festival. In addition to his work as an artist and filmmaker, Khemir has performed as a storyteller at the

Théâtre national de Chaillot The Théâtre National de Chaillot (English: Chaillot National Theatre) is a theatre located in the Palais de Chaillot at 1, place du Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Close by the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadéro Gardens—the Th ...

, and has produced work for Swiss, French, and Tunisian television. He is the author of a number of books, including several for children.

Filmography

*'' Les baliseurs du désert (Wanderers of the Desert)'', 1984 (also known as El Haimoune) *'' Le collier perdu de la colombe (The Dove's Lost Necklace)'', 1991 *'' Bab'Aziz: le prince qui contemplait son âme (Bab'Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul)'', 2005

Published work

*''Le chant de génies'', 2001 *''J’avale le bébé du voisin'', 2000 *''La grand-mère, le juge et la mouche'', 2000 *''Le livre des djinns'', 2000 *''L’alphabet des sables'', 1998 *''Paroles d’Islam'', 1994 *''Sheherazade'', 1987 *''Grand-père est né'', 1985 *''Le conte des conteurs'', 1984 *''Le sommeil emmure'', 1978 *''L'ogresse'', 1975

Awards and honors

*Prix Henri Langlois, 2007 *East-West Coexistence Award, Beirut Film Foundation, 2006 *Prix Spécial du Jury,

, 1991 *Grand Prix, Belfort International Film Festival, 1991 *Prix de la Première Œuvre,

Carthage Film Festival The Carthage Film Festival (CFF) is an annual film festival that takes place in Tunis and founded in 1966. It is also called by its abbreviation JCC, from its French name, , or by its Arabic title, (''Cinema Days of Carthage''). Initially bienn ...

, 1984 *Grand Prix, Festival des Trois Continents, 1984 *Palme d'Or and Premier Prix de la Critique, Mostra de Valencia, 1984

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khemir, Nacer Tunisian film directors Tunisian writers 1948 births Living people