Arab Blues explores the challenges of a Parisian returnee determined to set up a psychoanalysis practice in post Arab-Spring Tunisia.
- Arab Blues Movie Snapshot
- Arab Blues Plot Summary
- Arab Blues Review
Arab Blues Movie Snapshot
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Director: Manele Labidi
Country: France, Tunisia
Released: 2020
Run Time: 88min
Arab Blues Movie Plot Summary
Arab Blues, also Un Divan A Tunis, which translates to “A couch in Tunis”, is a witty social commentary. While the French title is quite literal, the former leans heavily into the social commentary subtext that dominates the film’s premise. We are introduced to our main character, Selma (Golshifteh Farahani), a returnee from France who has come to find out her home has changed just as much as she has. She sets out to start a Psychoanalysis practice in Tunis and sticks out like a sore thumb. Her jeans and wild curls contrast with the conservative ideals of her hometown.
She has been away from home for so long and is quite the foreigner, evident as she navigates the process of setting up. She not only faces the challenge of building a client list, but also has to reintroduce herself to the community. At first, Selma’s practice and motivations are hilariously misunderstood: psychoanalysis is a fairly foreign concept, and a highlight is a client’s assumption that she is a prostitute. After all, she meets with men alone to talk, lying on a couch. Curiosity turns into popularity. Soon, her practice draws the attention of Naim (Majd Mastoura), a policeman, who hounds her for her license to practice; a complication which exposes Tunisia’s frustrating bureaucracy, and she temporarily closes her practice, leaving her dependent clients distressed.
Arab Blues Movie Review
The film skillfully utilises wit to deliver its message. From the beginning, there is a consistent clash between Selma’s Parisian sensibilities and the values of her community, offering an interesting lens on postcolonial African relations with its colonial powers. Selma’s mode of dressing and tattoos represent moral decay influenced by Western powers; yet her choice to wear her hair in its natural state is perceived as wild, and makes her look like a maid, highlighting the community’s internalised Western beauty standards. Farhana’s performance embodies the awkwardness and confidence of a returnee, to bring out her insider-outsider tug of war. Her, will they or won’t they, dynamic with Majd adds a welcome romantic touch that lightens the satire.
Overall, Arab Blues is a great example of art as a medium for uncovering difficult truths. Identity stands out as the central theme; it is handled with care, as well as the topics of sexuality and marriage. Every character is portrayed thoughtfully, to make even the most rigid and stubborn ones understandable. The film invites us to reflect on modernisation in postcolonial societies, and encourages us to add nuance when exploring modern society in relation to our cultural norms. Arab Blues makes for an engaging watch. It’s perhaps the therapy couch we all need.
