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Abstract: Nacer Khemir is an acclaimed Franco-Arab filmmaker whose trilogy on Islamic culture and heritage was completed with the 2005 release of Bab'Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul, a film centered on the achievements of Islamic heritage and its diverse folkloric and elite cultures.
Celebrated for his signature style and his focus on the cultural heritage of Islam, the Tunisian-French filmmaker Mohammed al-Nasir al-Khumeir, commonly known as Nacer Khemir, has received acclaim for his 2005 release Bab'Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul (Bab'Aziz, le prince qui contemplait son âme). Bab'Aziz is an international collaboration supported by the financial and cultural sponsorship of European and Tunisian private and state sectors, as well as Iran's Ministry of Culture, Cultural Heritage Organization, and Farabi Cinema Foundation. The film was produced and is distributed by studios in Iran, Germany, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Although the international coproduction of films on the Middle East and North Africa is an established practice-especially in regard to the subjects of "gender inequality, violent Islam, the Palestinian question, and, to a certain extent, political and social underdevelopment"1-in the case of Bab'Aziz international interest is specifically motivated by Khemir's response to current anti-Muslim political and cultural sentiments. In treating his subject, Khemir offers a production that incorporates the heritage of different Muslim regions. The film consists, primarily, of an Iranian cast that includes Golshifteh Farahani, Parviz Shahinkhou, Maryam Hamid, and the late Hossein Panahi. The Iranian production crew includes the film's director of photography, Mahmoud Kalari, one of the most accomplished contemporary cinematographers. The list of the producers and coproducers also includes Iranian investors, along with Khemir himself and partners from Europe and North Africa. The film is in Persian, with the exception of occasional scenes and dialogue in Arabic, and it was shot on location in Iran and Tunisia. Upon its release, Bab'Aziz received considerable attention at festivals around the world; Iran's Fajr Film Festival announced it as the 2005 selection for the Crystal Simorgh award in the spiritual films category.2 It was also the recipient of the Golden Dagger award as the best picture at Oman's 2006 Muscat Film Festival. Such awards highlight Khemir's status as one of the best directors of the Arab cinema...