LE FIL/ THE STRING

Tunisia, 2009, 93 minutes, Colour.
Claudia Cardinale, Antonin Stahly Viswanadhan, Salim Kechiouche.
Directed by Mehdi Ben Attia.

A Tunisian film by a Tunisian director.

The focus of the film is on a young man, Malik (Antonin Stahly Viwanadhan) who spent time in France and returns to Tunisia. He has strong ties to his mother, Claudia Cardinale, and to his father who is ill and dying. He is an architect and has some prospects. However, his mother is very possessive and he is in a dilemma as to whether he should move out from the family home or not.

When Malik sees one of the servants, Bilal (Salim Kechiouche, who played a similar role in the 2004 Grande Ecole) involved in some homoerotic horseplay, the audience realises that Malik is homosexual, confirmed when he goes by car into the rougher areas of the city for some rough sex.

The two men have an affair and are discovered by Malik’s mother. She has wanted him to marry – but, in the meantime, he has promised a lesbian friend and her partner that he would marry her and act as the surrogate father of the child.

Ultimately, this is what happens, the mother coming to terms with the arrangements, having a frank talk and remembering her own past in Tunisia to Bilal. And there is a postscript with Malik teaching his young son to swim with the other members of the family on the beach.

The title is symbolic although at various times a thread or a cord is seen protruding from Malik’s back. Later in the film, he explains the imagery of being bound, turning one way and the binding becoming tighter, turning the other way and becoming free.

1. The title? The literal thread? Connections, the link? The real thread? The symbolic thread? Malik and his later explanation about being bound, turning, bound further, being free?

2. Tunisia, the vistas of the city, the streets, homes, the affluent world, the beach? The musical score?

3. The strong cast, Claudia Cardinale, the local actors? The Tunisian director?

4. Homosexuality? The male gaze of the film and camerawork focusing on males? Homoerotic atmosphere?

5. The opening class, Malik, returning to Tunisia, his time in France, language? The regrets and coming home?

6. Malik and his mother, meeting him, her exuberance, the links between them, love?

7. The family, his ill father, the grandmother, his father’s friends, Syrene and the Insemination? The issue of his getting married?

8. The staff in the house, the role of Bilal, garden, servant, at beck and call? Malik seeing him with his friend, the homoerotic games?

9. Malik, homosexuality, driving into town, the men in the street, the savage sexual encounter?

10. The plans for Malik, his work as an architect and designing? Marriage? The discussions with the paediatrician? His proclaiming ideas of social justice? The clashes with his mother, whether he would stay or leave? His decision to stay and the reasons?

11. Malik and Bilal, the request about the Oasis Club, adding his shoes, the fetish with the shoes? Meeting his friends? Taking them?

12. The Oasis Club, the dancing, the encounter with Waseem, his cousin, the drugs, the dancing, sexual encounters?

13. Abdelaziz, illness, care, Malik going to the doctor, asking the prognosis, reassuring his mother? The chemotherapy? His father asking him for the truth? His father’s death, the funeral?

14. Syrene and her pregnancy? Lesbian, her girlfriend? The artificial insemination? Agreeing to marry Malik, their not living together?

15. Malik and Bilal, the sexual relationship, night together, his mother watching, her frantic reaction?

16. Malik, the allegory of the string, his childhood memories, the psychologist, the links and connections, the different turning, further bound, free?

17. Malik and Balil together, on the beach, the false inspector? The sexual encounters, their talking, Bilal and his memoirs, his sexual sketches?

18. Sara, her reaction to her son, her illness, her tantrums? Malik’s bad reaction? Not wanting to see his mother?

19. Balil’s wise advice of not breaking with his mother and regretting it?

20. Sara, her friends, the discussion about marriage? Talking with Bilal, her sympathy for him?

21. The maid, her reactions, considering the situation as a sin?

22. The arrangements, the marriage, Malik visiting the mother and the child? Leila agreeing? The discussions, the ceremony, everybody consenting? The grandmother and her summoning Malik and the explanation? The party, the celebration?

23. Sara, telling her memories to Bilal, arriving, her husband, men and women separate, her being ignored, her husband kissing her in public, her bold stances and no regrets?

24. The aftermath, years later, the little boy, Malik teaching him to swim, the string and the connection? Happiness?