Revolution! And then what? At first, usually insecurity and economic decay. A young Tunisian has doubts about his future after the 2011 revolution. Should he go to Europe? His father says no. But he meets a Dutch female tourist. Feature debut by Dutch-Tunisian filmmaker.

A young DVD seller in Tunesia named Abdallah tries to make ends meet in a society caught in a vacuum between democracy and dictatorship. It is 2011, shortly after the Jasmine Revolution and jobs are all but non-existent.
Abdallah's friends dream of Europe and its wealth, telling success stories about acquaintances in the rich West. But Addallah's father, who was once a'guest worker' in the Netherlands, tells a different story.'That world', as he calls Europe, has had its day. Nevertheless, Abdallah's frustration with life in Tunisia grows and after meeting a Dutch tourist, he cautiously starts to dream of a future in Europe.
This contemporary fiction intertwines the personal anecdotes and perspective of the half-Dutch Tunisian filmmaker with stories from members of his family. Pitstra's hybrid, documentary-like style provides colourful, realistic images of everyday life in the region.

Feature Narrative / Tunisia, Netherlands, Qatar / 2012 / 80 min / Colour / HDCAM
In Arabic, Dutch, English / Arabic, English subtitles

Interests: Drama, Politics, Social Issues, Immigration, Docufiction


Cast
Abdelhamid Nawara
Mohsen Ben Hassen
Rahma Ben Hassen
Ilse Heus

Director: Alex Pitstra
Scenario: Alex Pitstra, Thijs Gloger, Abdallah Rezgui
Photography: Thijs Gloger
Editor: Alex Pitstra, Thijs Gloger, René Duursma
Production design: Mourad Negri
Sound design: Renger Koning
Music : Renger Koning
Length: 80'
Film format: DCP

Producer: Alex Pitstra (Alex Pitstra Media)

Director's statements
"To me Die Welt is an exploration of both myself and of the person I could have been if my father had made different choices in life. Abdallah's character is partly based on me. He views his country from a distant perspective, just like I see the country from a Western point of view. I made notes of my observations during my travels, and integrated them in the film.
I think that in Die Welt we see Tunisia through Western eyes. We see a country that is a lot more modern than what we see on the news on TV. On the other hand the film presents Tunisian society in a way that Tunisians are not yet familiar with.
I myself am a child of Fort Europe. I discover my Tunisian identity in Die Welt.
Karim and Alex travel in opposite directions. We meet each other half way, in search of a new identity."
Alex Pitstra - Director, producer

Trailer Die Welt | IFFR 2013 from Alex Pitstra on Vimeo.

Cast and crew
in order of appearance
Abdallah > Abdelhamid Naouara
Customer DVD shop > Mohammed Hassine Belkhala
Jamil > Jamil Ferchichi
Fruit salesman > Brahim Ben Ammar
Bus conductor / Immigration officer > Ons Bahri
Hassan > Mohsen Ben Hassen
Samir > Kamel Ben Khalfa
Ahlem > Rahma Ben Hassen
Grandmother Afifa > Afifa Rezgui
‘MTV Cribs' star on TV > Davy King
Friend of Abdallah telling story > Houssem Al Bib
Friends of Abdallah > Slim Al Amiri, Abderrahmen Rezgui
José > Judith van der Meulen
Anna > Ilse Heus
Young man at hotel > Mohamed Nkhili
Swedish woman > Margaretha Nilsson †
Mohamed > Imed Sassi
Fouad > Fouad Cheneti
Mehdi > Mehdi Cheneti
Delilah > Delilah Ben Hassen
Semira > Samira Saïdi
Fatouma > Nabila Ben Hassen
Woman in kitchen > Hana el Wafi
Bride > Mariem Bedoui
Owner of other DVD shop > Mounir Saadoui
Customer café > Abdelmajid Houidi
Masseur hammam > Fethi Fourti
Barber > Ahmed Gaidi
Customers barber shop > Abdelmajid Bibasse, Nacer Edinne Hafsi, Fakhreddine Essraoulia
Car buyer > Mustapha Khemiha
Negotiating man on car market > Walid Korbi
Complaining man on car market > Mohamed Chaouachi
Djo > Youssef Hammami
Djo's partner > Walid Ouerghi
Lassad > Lassad Mestiri
Marwa > Marwa Agrebi
Refugees > Aymen Sliti, Taher Khemiri, Med Chams Eddine Kotrane,
Jamil Ferchichi, Bilel Chouchene
Refugee - singer on boat > Mehdi Ben Amor
Mourad the skipper > Sami Jouini

Extras
Mohamed Ali Agerbi - Chams Dine Ben Ahmed - Hamdi Ben Ahmed - Wasila Akeri Terd - Rafika Bedoui - Slahdine Belhedi - Amani Brimi - Monia Akkari Brimi - Mohamed Malek Elaoud - Mourad Farhat - Wahbi ben Fetima - Khira Elcheyeb el Gessmi - Salwa Grafa -Aymen Haouet - Bouraoui Ben Hassen - Hamza Ben Hassen - Leila Ben Hassen - Mohamed Aziz Ben Hassen - Khalil Hedi Ben Lakhedher - Abdelhamid Marzouki -Meriem Taggez - Eskander Midassi - Monia Nilsson - Nessrine Ragoubi - Akram Ben Said - Dalila Saïdi - Imen Shgaier - Aya Terd

Crew
Produced and directed by Alex Pitstra
Co-Producer > Rene Houwen
Executive Producer > Moez Kamoun
Line Producer > Rosan Breman
Associate Producers > David Inden, Remy Anedda

Screenplay
Alex Pitstra
Thijs Gloger
Abdallah Rezgui

Production services in Tunisia provided by Sindbad Production

Sindbad Production representative > Philippa Day
1st Assistant Director > Youssef Hammami
2nd Assistant Director > Sabrine Ben Hamida
Unit Manager > Anis Absi
2nd Unit Manager > Hamdi Ben Ahmed
2nd Unit Runner > Zeineb Khalfaoui
Production Coordinator > Ahlem Zarrouk
Production Assistants > Abderrahmen Rezgui, Rahma Ben Hassen
Production Assistant - The Netherlands > Roeland Dijksterhuis
Production Accountant > Latifa Miled
Office driver > Eskander Midassi

Cinematography > Thijs Gloger
First Assistant Camera > Tadeusz Kieniewicz
2nd Unit Assistant Camera > Joost Wierenga
Gaffer - Tunisia > Mondher Dhied
Best boy > Walid Bachouchi
Genny Operator > Mohamed Boulaabi
Electricians > Souhail Haboubi, Lamjed Laabidi
Gaffer - The Netherlands > Peter J. Reese
Set photographers > Judith van der Meulen, Peter J. Reese, Tadeusz Kieniewicz
Camera Equipment > Het Raam, Edwin Verstegen, Jorne Tielemans, Dick Harrewijn
Crew driver > Abdelhamid Marzouki
Truck driver > Mourad Jeridi
Key grip > Tarek Bekri
Additional grip > Amine El Amri

Sound Engineer > Walid Ouerghi
Boom Operator > Slim Jbeli

Props and set decoration > Mourad Negri

Editing
Alex Pitstra
Thijs Gloger
René Duursma

Editing consultant > Janine Prins
Compositing - VFX > Giso Spijkerman
Additional compositing > Sil Bulterman, Roelof Bos

Image Post Production > Loods Lux & Lumen
Ruud de Bruyn
Mike Vosmaer
Les Lahumeten
Ilke Vernooy

Color Grading > Jef Grosfeld

Sound design and music > Renger Koning
Trumpet > Hans Boschma
Mixed at Soundbase
Music clearances > Copyright Power International
Edith Severs
Esther de Vries

Casting Director - Tunis > Youssef Hammami
Casting > Anna Kemna Casting
Betty Post
Houdijn Beekhuis
Casting - ‘MTV Cribs' star Dutch Casting Agency
Martine Blauw

Dialogue Supervisor > Abdallah Rezgui
Additional Dialogues > Abdelhamid Nawara
Arabic Translations > Sonia Guizani
Pepita Mol
Subtitling > Einion Vertaling & Ondertiteling

Publicity > Carla Wolbers
Copywriter > Tom Tieman

English Translations
Carol van Gelder
Rik Smit
Frank Boxman

French Translations
Anneke Claus
Cilou Bertin
Artwork Sgaar ontwerp,
Saar de Vries
Gerjo van Dam

Legal advisor > Alexander Jähring

Technical details
Title: Die Welt
With: Abdelhamid Naouara, Ilse Heus and Mohsen Ben Hassen
Length: 80 minutes
Language: Arabic, Dutch and English
Subtitles available: Dutch, English, French and Arabic.
Aspect ratio: 1:1.85Audio: 5.1 Surround (DCP) Stereo LTRT (HD-CAM)

Equipment
Most of the scenes in Die Welt were shot with a Sony F3-camera that was connected to a KiPro mini-recorder that records to ProRes422 HQ 1080p HD. A number of other scenes were shot with a Canon 5DmkII.

Sales : Alex Pitstra Media, David Inden, Remy Anedda
Print source: Alex Pitstra Media

Sales contact
Remy Anedda
remy(@)estheticon.nl
+31 6 461 62 645


2013 | 42nd IFFR - Festival International du Fllm de Rotterdam
* Selection - Bright Future
* European premiere
* Screening: Pathé 7 - Sat 26 Jan - 21:00
* Screening: Pathé 6 - Sun 27 Jan - 12:15
* Screening: Cinerama 1 - Mon 28 Jan - 14:15
* Screening: Cinerama 4 - Thu 31 Jan - 19:15
* Screening: Cinerama 5 - Sat 02 Feb - 22:15


2013 | DTFF - Doha tribeca Film Festival | 17.11>24.11.2012
* Arab Feature Film Competition
* World Premiere
Rated 18: Viewers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
* Screening: Tue, Nov 20, 06:30 PM, Katara 12 Theatre B (K12-B)
* Screening: Thu, Nov 22, 09:00 PM, Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium (MIA-A)
www.dohafilminstitute.com/filmfestival/films/die-welt