“Who do I belong to”, interview with the director Meryam Joobeur

February 21, 2024

Meryam Joobeur, director, "Who Do I Belong To". A mother faces the truth on her son's life, in a compelling and visually astounding film, in Competition at the 74th Berlin Film Festival.

"Who do I belong to", interview with the director Meryam Joobeur Angelo Acerbi

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Meryam Joobeur comes to the 74th Berlin International Film Festival presenting her film “Who do I belong to” in the Official Competition. The film a gorgeously shot tale about a mother who is forced to face the truth on her son, in a secluded village in the north of Tunisia.

All started with a short film

The germ for “Who do I belong to” was planted in a short film Meryam Joobeur did in 2018, shot in the same area, with some of the same non-professional actors. For the feature film, her point of view changes , focusing on the woman, on the mother and her life, dealing with her role in that society and her personality and will.

We are all lost when our identity crumbles

As in many recent films, identity is a central issue in “Who do I belong to“, once we cannot define ourselves anymore by what we think we are, what our society and social milieu wants us to be, we lose track and we have to rebuild. This is what happens to the lead character, to Aicha, and she becomes a new person through pain and sorrow.

Plot

Aïcha is gifted with prophetic dreams. She lives on a farm in northern Tunisia with her husband Brahim and their three sons. Aïcha and Brahim’s world is turned upside down when their two eldest boys, Mehdi and Amine, go off to war. Having lived up to this point solely for their children, the parents now find themselves in a new and painful reality. A few months later, Mehdi returns home with a pregnant wife named Reem whose niqab and silence deeply unsettle Brahim. Aïcha, on the other hand, welcomes Mehdi and Reem into the family home and vows to protect them at all costs. Mehdi’s return triggers strange events in the village. Aïcha is so consumed with protecting her son that, at first, she barely notices the rising fear in the community. She must face the limits of her maternal love to counteract the growing darkness.

Written by: Angelo Acerbi

Guest

Meryam Joobeur