Ten Great Foreign Films Of This Decade

Bab'Aziz

by Ari

Bab’ Aziz, also known as The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul, is probably the best foreign film that hasn’t been released here in the US since its completion over a year ago. I gave this film an honorable mention on my list of best films of 2006 and briefly described its beauty and allure. With Bab’Aziz, filmmaker Nacer Khemir has written and directed a poetic dream of cinema, one that captures a sense of grandeur and spectacle while developing profound thematic insights and intimate drama. This is transcendent art, a story that magically engrosses the viewer with its fascinating cultural presentation, beautifully realized characters and mesmerizing visual sensibilities.

While the film is a meditation of the soul and an exploration of our very existence, the overall presentation is effortlessly smooth and elegant without ever becoming too complex or too difficult to follow. Khemir takes the viewer on a journey through Sufi culture, which he described as “the beating heart of Islam”. Another interesting point by the director (I saw the film at the AFI Fest last year, with a Q & A afterwards) was his motivation for telling this story. Khemir stated (and this is from memory, so it’s probably not exact), “If you see your father fall into the dirt, do you just stand there and watch, or do you help him up and clean his face? My religion has fallen into the dirt, and with this film I wanted to help clean the face of Islam”. This feeling can be felt in every frame of the film. Bab’Aziz is a passionate celebration of Sufi culture and the mystical wonders of life.

An old, blind dervish named Bab’Aziz travels across the desert with his granddaughter Ishtar to a magical Sufi celebration. On their journey, they meet fellow wanderers who tell their stories, each one as interesting as they are different. A young poet tells his tale of a mysterious woman he fell in love with, a troubled man explains his desire to avenge the death of his brother, and Bab’Aziz himself tells the story of a young Prince who contemplates life while transfixed by his reflection in a pool of water. As their adventure through the desert progresses, we’re treated to incredible sights filmed with masterful beauty by cinematographer Mahmoud Kalari. The celebration that ends the film is a magical presentation of song and dance, unlike anything I’ve seen on film before. Bab’Aziz is exceptional work - a film that hopefully reaches theaters in the near future. It certainly deserves it.

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