Mohamed Mourali

A masterpiece of Tunisian theatre and arguably its most iconic production to date, Marshal Ammar has been performed over 300 times across Tunisia and remains deeply ingrained in popular culture, especially through its television broadcasts. The play tells the story of a wealthy yet uncultured man, Marshal Ammar, who desperately tries to bridge the gap between his social standing and the aristocracy. His misguided attempts to appear refined lead to a series of foolish decisions, resulting in comical and often farcical situations.

In the arid Tunisian village of Bizerte, Khorma -- with his blonde-red hair and quirky habits -- is the town's kindly joke. His guardian is Bou Khaleb, the official announcer of births, deaths, and marriages. When the Bou mistakenly announces the death of a woman rather than her daughter's marriage, the film immerses us in the often-hilarious power struggles amongst the clerics of the "religion business".

A community of people rejected by society live in an abandoned residence located in a "Medina": an old town in Tunisia. Al Bab, a local criminal running the residence's prostitution circle, returns from prison on his wedding day. Fraj, his brother and the town warlock, falls in love with Ramla, his brother's future wife: He is the only man of the residence who has seen her face, as she is kept prisoner in one of the rooms until the wedding night.

Gianni, a former Italian owner of a movie theater in Bab El Fella, disappears leaving a manuscript that recounts important events to the local police that took place twenty years ago.