Arabic distribution company Mad Solutions has acquired the international rights to Tunisian director Alaa Eddine Slim’s mystery drama “Agora” ahead of its world premiere in the official competition at the Locarno Film Festival.
The film revolves around three missing people who suddenly return to a remote town in Tunisia, raising tensions within their families and community. A local police inspector named Fathi tries to solve the mystery of their initial disappearance and unexpected return with the help of her friend Amine. Then a second inspector arrives from the capital. The film’s somewhat supernatural events unfold as if they take place in the dreams of two animals—a blue dog and a black crow—as the director said in an interview with diverse.
Slim’s previous two works, characterized by minimal dialogue and aerial imagery, were highly acclaimed by critics: “The Last of Us” (2016) won the Lion of the Future at Venice, and “Tlamess” (2019) was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. “Tlamess” was later released by Mad Solution’s Mad Distribution unit in the MENA region.
Agora will also be distributed in cinemas across the Arab world via Mad Distribution, while Mad World, the company’s recently established international sales arm, will handle distributor sales in the rest of the world.
The cast of Agora includes Naji Kanawati (“To Whom Do I Belong”), Bilal Sultania (“Dashra”), Majd Mastoura (“Hadi”) and emerging Tunisian talent Sonia Zarq Ayouna.
The film is a co-production between French company Cinenovo Jolie Viz and Slim's Exit Productions, and received funding from various entities including the Tunisian National Center for Cinema and Image, the Saudi Red Sea Fund, and the Doha Film Institute in Qatar.
“We are excited to bring a highly promising investigative drama to the international market that is set to be compelling until the very last moment,” said MAD Solutions founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab in a statement.
