The story of Omayma Benghaloum, the Tunisian cultural mediator, mother of four daughters, brutally killed by her husband Faouzi Dridi in September 2015 in Messina, it became a short film made by director Fabio Schifilliti. The film, which was shot in the City of the Strait, between Lake Ganzirri and the port area, and in the charming medina of Mazara del Vallo in the Trapani area, will be presented as a national preview at the Sedicicorto Film Festival in Forlì on the afternoon of Wednesday 11 October. “Omayma – Footprints of time” turns the spotlight back on a femicide that shocked Messina and tells the life of 34-year-old Omayma who lives with her authoritarian husband Faouzi a different existence from the one she dreamed of after moving to Sicily. Thanks to the memory of her happy past in Tunisia, together with her daughter she searches for the strength to move forward and the courage not to lose her freedom. The screenplay was written by Paolo Pintacuda and Fabio Schifilliti, while the protagonist is played by the well-known Tunisian actress Mariam Al Ferjani.
The cast is made up of Hossein Taheri, a Tunisian theatre, television and film actor who has made several films and also worked in Italy for Checco Zalone, in the role of Faouzi; M’Barka Ben Taleb will be Fatma; Sara Abbes will be Rania and Giulia Migliardi will play her daughter Esra. Director Fabio Schifilliti presents his latest work like this: “I have always been attracted to stories that concern the whirlwind of the human soul and that of Omayma absolutely deserves to be told for the strength of a great woman who made enormous sacrifices to improve her and her daughters’ lives, despite constant harassment psychological and physical injuries on the part of her husband which then led to her death.
His story is not only a very serious fact, but the description of an endemic problem in our society.” Francesco Torre, Executive Producer, adds: “The selection in Forlì honors and gratifies us for all the commitment put into a production that required a long development and the creation of a broad support network. The time has finally come for the story of this splendid woman to reach the public of national and international festivals, but we will also and above all take action to ensure that the short film can be seen by children and in schools, especially in our city”.
The short film was produced by the Arknoah Association of Messina and made as part of the Sensi Contemporanei Cinema Program with the support of the Sicilian Region, Ass. Turismo, Sport e Spettacolo, Department of Tourism and the Sicilia Film Commission. The production was supported by the University of Messina, Società Editrice Sud – Gazzetta del Sud, National Council of Notaries, Metropolitan City of Messina, Lions Club Messina Tyrrhenum, Rotary Club Messina, Soroptimist International d’Italia – Club Messina and Salvatore Totaro , with the collaboration of Life Solution.
Leading actors: Mariam Al Ferjani Hossein Taheri Giulia Migliardi
Film script: Paolo Pintacuda and Fabio Schifilliti Photography: Leo Orpheus Music: Luca Antonini Assembly: Andrea Maguolo and Sarah Borgi