French-Tunisian filmmaker Elyes Sehiri’s latest feature film, The Promised Sky, has had its global premiere in the “Un Certain Regard” section at the Cannes Film Festival, accompanied by the release of its official trailer. The film’s worldwide sales are being handled exclusively by Luxbox, while French distribution rights are managed by Jour2Fête.
Sehiri’s previous film, Under the Fig Tree, was screened at the 2022 Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes and was selected as Tunisia’s official submission for the 2023 Academy Awards.
The Promised Sky tells the story of Mari, a pastor and former journalist from Ivory Coast who has lived in Tunisia for ten years. Her home becomes a refuge for Nani, a young mother seeking a better future, and Julie, a determined student carrying the hopes of her entire family. The arrival of an orphaned little girl tests the fragile bonds among them, revealing both their vulnerabilities and strengths amid a tense social atmosphere. The screenplay was co-written by Sehiri, Anna Ciennik, and Malika Cécile Louati.
Speaking about the relationship between Tunisians and immigrants from other parts of Africa, Sehiri expressed her frustration: “As a Tunisian woman, I feel deeply saddened by our inability to welcome immigrants with dignity, despite Tunisia’s own vast diaspora. It feels as if we do not live on the same continent, as if we are not all Africans.”
Tunisia has recently experienced heightened tensions due to immigration issues. Sehiri noted, “At first, I did not intend to document what was happening in Tunisia, but over time, the film began to reflect the country’s political situation. Reality caught up with the story we were writing.”
Amid widespread arrests and raids across Tunisia, the filmmakers grappled with how to incorporate this tense atmosphere into the story without reducing the characters to outdated stereotypes. They aimed to portray the women’s determination to live their lives despite adversity, avoiding unnecessary violence on screen.
The cinematography is by Frida Marzouk, known for her collaborations with Abdellatif Kechiche on Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013) and her recent work with Lina Soualem on the documentary Goodbye Tiberias (2023).
The cast includes Aïssa Maiga, Debora Lobe Naney, Laetitia Ky, Estelle Kenza Dogbo, Foued Zaazaa, Mohamed Grayaa, and Touré Blamassi. Producers are Didar Domehri from Maneki Films and Elyes Sehiri from Henia Production, with Canal+ serving as co-producer.
The film is a co-production between Mad Solutions and Pathé Touch Afrique, with participation from TV5 Monde. It has received support from the Tunisian Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the National Film and Image Centre (CNCI), the French National Centre for Cinema and Animation (CNC), Aide Aux Cinemas Du Monde, the French Academy, Doha Film Institute, Hubert Bals Fund, Rotterdam International Film Festival, Creative Europe Media, the Francophone Audiovisual Fund, Impact Film, Red Sea Fund, Cofinova Development 19, and Procirep/Angoa.
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