Fleur d’Oubli (Flower of Oblivion) (Tunisia: 2006)

Director

Selma Baccar

Cast list

Alaa Eddine Ayoub: Khemais

Rabia Ben Abdallah: Zakia

Raouf Ben Amor: Si Mokhtar

Mohamed-Ali Ben Jemaa: Jaafar

Halima Daoud: Mother in Law

Hend Fahem: Meriem

Credits

Writing: Selma Baccar, Aroussia Nallouti, Fabrice Ziolkowski

Music: Rabii Zamouri

Cinematography: Andreas Sinanos

Film Editing: Karim Hammouda

Assistant Director: Moez Kamoun

Sound Department: Samy Ghardi

Synopsis

Selma Baccar’s film Fleur d’Oubli, also known as Khockkhack, tells the story of a young, wealthy and beautiful Tunisian woman in the 1930’s. The main character, Zakia, marries Si Mokhtar, a wealthy suitor. The marriage does not proceed happily for long, as Zakia starts to realize Si is sexually involved with the male servant Jaafar. Zakia is disappointed, as she desperately wanted children, and unsuccessfully seeks solace from her husband’s mother. Zakia becomes pregnant regardless, and the childbirth of her daughter is especially difficult. She accepts poppy tea as pain reliever and becomes immediately addicted to opiates. Zakia neglects her daughter and uses her daughter as payment to gain a suspicious suitor with a large poppy supply. After hitting rock bottom, she weathers withdrawal at an asylum. During this time, Zakia becomes involved with another inmate, Khemias. Only after approaching insanity, Zakia is eventually able to come to terms with her difficult past and accept her failed marriage.

Reviews

Rinheiro, Kristen. "Tunisian Filmmaker Selma Baccar." Goucher College. 9 Feb. 2009.

Weissberg, Jay. "Flower Of Oblivion." Variety. 20 Dec. 2006.

"Flower of Oblivion." MUBI. 2008.

Martin, Florence. Screens and Veils: Maghrebi Women’s Cinema. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2011. Print.

Gauch, Suzanne. Maghrebs in Motion: North African Cinema in Nine Movements. , 2015. Print.

Nelmes, Jill, and Jule Selbo, eds. Women Screenwriters: An International Guide. Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. Print.

Other movies from Tunisia made in

Title Country Year Director More infos
La Télé Arrive (The TV is Coming) Tunisia 2006 Moncef Dhouib
Bab el Arch (The Throne Door) Tunisia 2006 Mokhtar Ladjimi
Fleur d’Oubli (Flower of Oblivion) Tunisia 2006 Selma Baccar
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