Bab’Aziz: Le prince qui contemplait son âme
Bab’Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul (2005)
BAB’AZIZ: THE PRINCE WHO CONTEMPLATED HIS SOUL (2005)
Bab’Aziz is not just a film about a journey through the desert. It is a symbolic story about the human path between life and death, between the body and the spirit. The dervish does not seek a destination — he is walking toward a spiritual moment, like the Sufi idea of losing oneself in the love of God “fana”.
His granddaughter joins him, not just to find a celebration, but to follow a quiet path toward inner light. In the end, death is not shown as something sad or empty, but as a return to the beginning.
The film includes stories that mix myth and reality, like the tale of the prince and the gazelle. It also uses Sufi music and spiritual voices, such as Hamza Shakkour and Salar Aghili, to open a window for the soul — sharing deep meanings from Eastern traditions sincerely, without falling into the clichés or distortions of Orientalism. — OMNIA ADEL
Country of Origin: Tunisia
Run Time: 1h 36m
Language: Arabic
Rank in the list: 65th
Genre(s): Drama
Synopsis
A visual poem of incomparable beauty, this masterpiece from director Nacer Khemir (Wanderers of the Desert) begins with the story of a blind dervish named Bab’Aziz and his spirited granddaughter, Ishtar. Together they wander the desert in search of a great reunion of dervishes that takes place just once every thirty years. With faith as their only guide, the two journey for days through the expansive, barren landscape. To keep Ishtar entertained, Bab’Aziz relays the ancient tale of a prince who relinquished his realm in order to remain next to a small pool in the desert, staring into its depths while contemplating his soul. As the tale of the prince unfolds, the two encounter other travelers with stories of their own – including Osman, who longs for the beautiful woman he met at the bottom of a well, and Zaid, who searches for the ravishing young woman who fled from him after being seduced by his songs. Filled with breathtaking images and wonderful music, Nacir Khemir has created a fairytale-like story of longing and belonging, filmed in the enchanting and ever-shifting sandscapes of Tunisia and Iran.
Notable Cast and Crew
Nacer Khemir
Director
Parviz Shahinkhou
Cast (Bab'Aziz)
Golshifteh Farahani
Cast (Nour)
Mohamed Grayaâ
Cast (Osman)
