Bab'Aziz (2005)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Nacer Khemir

Writers:

Tonino Guerra (collaboration)
Nacer Khemir (writer)

Release Date:

11 May 2006 (Hungary)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Bab'Aziz - The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul is the story of a blind dervish named Bab'Aziz and his spirited granddaughter...

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Parviz Shahinkhou	...	Bab'Aziz
Maryam Hamid	...	Ishtar
Hossein Panahi
Nessim Khaloul	...	Zaid
Mohamed Graïaa	...	Osman
Maryam Mohaid
Golshifteh Farahani	...	Nour
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Soren Mehrabiar	...	Dervish
Reza Najifi

Directed by
Nacer Khemir

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tonino Guerra		collaboration
Nacer Khemir		writer

Produced by
Cyriac Auriol	....	producer
Karl Baumgartner	....	co-producer
Lauraine Heftler	....	assistant producer
András Muhi	....	co-producer
Ali Reza Shoja-Nuri	....	producer

Original Music by
Armand Amar

Cinematography by
Mahmoud Kalari

Film Editing by
Isabelle Rathery

Casting by
Leila Fournier
Sarah Teper

Costume Design by
Maud Perl

Production Management
Asen Kanchev	....	music production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Benjamin Blanc	....	assistant director
Iraj Habashi	....	second assistant director: Iran
Amin Mahdavi	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Majid Mir-fakhrai	....	artistic advisor
Issa Traverdian	....	props: Iran

Sound Department
Ahmad Ardalan	....	boom operator: Iran
Bahman Ardalan	....	sound (as Bahman Bani Ardalan)
Franck Desmoulins	....	sound editor
Séverin Favriau	....	sound editor
Amir-Hossein Ghasemi	....	sound editor
Steve Higgs	....	sound
Róbert Juhász	....	sound re-recording mixer
Anne Maisonhaute	....	foley recordist
Stuart Wilson	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Manfred Büttner	....	visual effects producer
Erich Eder	....	visual effects supervisor
Yves Göbel	....	digital effects artist
Daniel Lo Iacono	....	digital effects artist
Sandra Moll	....	visual effects producer
Heiko Schweizer	....	digital effects artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Shahrad Banki	....	still photographer
Mondher El Gaied	....	grip: Tunisia

Editorial Department
Nicolas Novak	....	post-production assistant
Béraud Valentine	....	post-production coordinator

Other crew
Fethi Baccouchi	....	location manager
Monica Donati	....	unit publicist
Margaret Dowling	....	accountant: Britain
Hosni Mihol	....	caterer: Tunisia

Production Companies

• Behnegar
• Farabi Cinema Foundation (participation)
• Hannibal Films
• Inforg Stúdió
• Les Films du Requin
• Pegasos Film
• Zephyr Films

Distributors

• Bavaria Film International (2005) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Budapest Film (2006) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• Cinematograph Filmverleih (2006) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Gébéka Films (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Pegasos Film (????) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Typecast Releasing (2008) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• trigon-film (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• trigon-film (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Abacus Consult  accounting: audit
• Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra  orchestra
• Naïve  original score
• SIF309 Film & Music Productions  film score recording

Also Known As:

Bab'Aziz - A sivatag hercege (Hungary)
Bab'Aziz - Der Prinz, der seine Seele betrachtete (Germany)
Bab'Aziz - The Prince That Contemplated His Soul (USA)
Bab'Aziz, le prince qui contemplait son âme (France)
The Prince Contemplating His Soul (Canada: English title)

Runtime:

Hong Kong:96 min | Argentina:98 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Switzerland | Hungary | France | Germany | Iran | Tunisia | UK

Language:

Arabic | Persian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | France:U | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Iran

Company:

Behnegar

Rare portrayal of hidden Sufic lore

I came across this wonderful movie in a DVD shop in Basel and was attracted by the well designed DVD cover. I ordered the DVD from net and the Movie turned out one of the best movies I have ever seen where the visible indicates towards the even bigger invisible world.. and the outer images turn you joyfully inward. Sufism is a hidden mystic tradition and its secrets are well hidden. But in this movie if you are alert will be introduced to some of most beautiful dances and recitals. The music is uplifting and the photography simply beautiful.I congratulate the director of the movie for his courage and sense of beauty. In addition the movie is full of paraables and portrayal of desert which is ever so associated with Sufis. The temple in the sand and the Zikhr cereomony left me asking for more..