{{short description|2019 film}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox film | name = Arab Blues | image = Arab_blues_xlg.jpg | caption = French theatrical release poster | native_name = {{Infobox name module|fr|Un divan à Tunis}} | director = Manele Labidi Labbé | producer = {{Plainlist| * Serge Hayat * Jean-Christophe Reymond}} | screenplay = Manele Labidi Labbé | starring = {{plainlist| * Golshifteh Farahani * Majd Mastoura }} | music = Flemming Nordkrog | cinematography = Laurent Brunet | editing = Yorgos Lamprinos | studio = {{plainlist| * Kazak Productions * Arte France Cinéma }} | distributor = {{Plainlist| * Diaphana Distribution (France) * Hakka Distribution (Tunisia)}} | released = {{film date|2019|09|4|Venice|2020|02|12|France|2020|02|26|Tunisia|df=yes}} | runtime = 88 minutes<ref name="NUM"/><ref name="budget"/> | country = France<br>Tunisia | language = Arabic<br>French | budget = {{Plainlist| * €1.990.000<ref name="budget">{{cite web |url=http://www.jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=20146 |title=''Un divan à Tunis'' (2020) |website=jpbox-office.com |access-date=5 March 2021 |language=fr}}</ref> * (≃$2.4 million) }} | gross = $3.7 million<ref name="NUM">{{cite web |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/divan-a-Tunis-Un-(France)#tab=summary |title=''Un divan à Tunis'' (2020) |publisher=The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC |access-date=5 March 2021}}</ref> }}
'''''Arab Blues''''' ({{langx|fr|Un divan à Tunis|lit=A couch in Tunis}}) is a 2019 French-Tunisian comedy film written and directed by Manele Labidi Labbé, in her feature debut.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/mk2-launches-sales-on-manele-labidis-arab-blues-reveals-first-image-exclusive/5135885.article |title=mk2 launches sales on Manele Labidi's 'Arab Blues' starring Golshifteh Farahani, reveals first image (exclusive) |work=ScreenDaily |first=Melanie |last=Goodfellow |date=17 January 2019 |access-date=16 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="premiere">{{cite web |url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/arab-blues-venice-review/5142203.article |title='Arab Blues': Venice Review |work=ScreenDaily |date=4 September 2019 |first=Lisa |last=Nesselson |access-date=3 August 2020}}</ref> Starring Golshifteh Farahani as Selma, it follows a psychoanalyst moving back to her native Tunisia.
The film had its world premiere in the Giornate degli Autori section of the 76th Venice International Film Festival on 4 September 2019.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/venice-days-transgender-lingua-franca-only-beasts-1203275177/ |title=Transgender Immigrant Pic 'Lingua Franca,' Thriller 'Only Beasts' to Bow at Venice Days |magazine=Variety |first=Nick |last=Vivarelli |date=23 July 2019 |access-date=23 July 2019}}</ref> It was theatrically released in France on 12 February 2020 by Diaphana Distribution, and in Tunisia on 26 February by Hakka Distribution.
== Plot == The film is about a Tunisian psychoanalyst Selma who, after having been educated in Paris, moves back to Tunisia to open a psychoanalytic practice.
==Cast== * Golshifteh Farahani as Selma * Hichem Yacoubi as Raouf * Moncef Anjegui as Mourad * Majd Mastoura as Naim
==Release== The film had its world premiere at the 76th Venice International Film Festival, during the Venice Days, on 4 September 2019.<ref name="premiere"/> Its North American debut was in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival on 8 September 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arab Blues {{!}} Un Divan à Tunis |url=https://tiff.net/events/arab-blues |access-date=5 March 2021 |publisher=TIFF}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=13 August 2019 |title=Toronto Adds ''The Aeronauts,'' ''Mosul,'' ''Seberg,'' & More To Festival Slate |url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/toronto-film-festival-the-aeronauts-mosul-seberg-kristen-stewart-ore-to-festival-slate-1202667020/ |access-date=16 August 2019 |work=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmswelike.com/latest-news/2019/9/3/films-we-like-acquires-arab-blues-by-director-manele-labidi-north-american-debut-tiff-19 |title=FILMS WE LIKE acquires "ARAB BLUES" by director MANELE LABIDI |work=filmswelike.com |date=3 September 2019 |access-date=5 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://thefilmstage.com/tiff-review-golshifteh-farahani-listens-in-the-therapeutic-arab-blues/ |title=TIFF Review: Golshifteh Farahani Listens in the Therapeutic 'Arab Blues' |work=thefilmstage.com |last=Asch |first=Mark |date=8 September 2019 |access-date=5 March 2021}}</ref>
==Reception== ===Box office=== ''Arab Blues'' grossed $3.7 million worldwide,<ref name="NUM"/> against a production budget of about $2.4 million.<ref name="budget"/>
===Critical response=== On French review aggregator AlloCiné, the film holds an average rating of 3.7 out of 5, based on 24 critics' reviews.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm-264067/critiques/presse/ |title=Critiques Presse pour le film Un divan à Tunis |publisher=AlloCiné |access-date=5 March 2021 |language=fr}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arab Blues}} Category:2019 films Category:2019 comedy films Category:2019 directorial debut films Category:French comedy films Category:2019 Arabic-language films Category:2019 French-language films Category:Films about psychoanalysis Category:Films set in Tunisia Category:Tunisian comedy films Category:2019 multilingual films Category:French multilingual films Category:Tunisian multilingual films Category:2019 French films Category:Arabic-language comedy films Category:French-language comedy films Category:Films by French women directors Category:Films by Tunisian women directors