Silence of the Palace

A wonderful drama that mixes suspense, beautiful cinematography and fantastic music. In addition to being a splendid film it is also the first Arabic film that was directed by a woman, Moufida Tlatli. Alia is a young maid in the king's palace during the last years of the French protectorate in Tunisia. While the war is raging outside, a revolt is simmering inside the palace. Prince Sidi wants to make young Alia his mistress, a tradition in the palace for generations, however her mother refuses him to do so despite the dramatic consequences. A struggle for the young girl's freedom begins. Every year the festival picks one movie that in an outstanding way shows the amazing film heritage that exists in the Arab world, something this movie truly does.