Cinema Politica Serves a Slice of Tunisian Spring

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Last Thursday Cinema Politica held a film screening in the University Centre. Projected onto The Loft’s screen was a film concerning the Tunisian Revolution and its aftermath; a piece documentary titled ‘A Revolution in Four Seasons’ (2016). The organization presented a film which sheds light on the convictions of political movements and the varied interpretations of a people’s democracy.

The film’s narrative centres on two juxtaposed political candidates: Emma Ben Jemaa, journalist and free speech advocate, and Jawhara Ettis, an English teacher from the Islamist Party Ennahda, running for office during the Arab Spring’s fever pitch. Both are defined by their outspoken ideological beliefs while the film divides their experiences of failure and success through a turbulent election. 

While not taking an outright definition or stance for democracy, the film seemed more preoccupied with the personal experience of the female leads rather than explicitly outlining the political structure and society of Tunisia itself. At times, the account seemed to obscure or muddle specifics necessary to clarify the events of the Tunisian Spring and the election, which is a key component of the film. Furthermore, the film arguably failed to document the more tragic aspect of the revolution; notably, the extensively recorded instances of chaos and self-immolation (see Mohamed Bouazizi) and casualties which were not covered or given passing mention. As the film attempted to maintain an objective to focus on the protagonists, it ultimately failed in doing this at certain moments by confusingly matching the chronology of both Emma’s and Jawhara’s intertwined political stints via highlights and non-contextual personal moments.

A Revolution in Four Seasons offers an accessible, but light analysis of the political situation of Tunisia during 2011-2016. If you were looking for an elaborate presentation of the ethics of revolutions and an exploration for definitive ‘democracy’, you might need to gaze elsewhere. The movie offers an introduction to the Arab Spring (although isolating the lens within Tunisia in order to focus on the women on the front lines of the Tunisian politics), as well as an explanation of the development of anti-establishment sentiments after an elected Tunisian party assumed leadership. A fair and respectful opportunity is given for the respective sides to voice their views for the elections which serve as a summary for the debate of the region’s politics during the era. The end product is a well-produced, semi-biographical documentary with a highly political edge.

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As Canada moves towards another election in a matter of months, one can only hope that Cinema Politica will soon return to showcase some thought-provoking material.

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Jacob Laybolt
Jake is a graduate student, currently studying Employment Relations. In 2023, he completed his Honours BA in Political Science. He has worked with the Muse since 2018, covering student politics, labour organizing, and campus activism.