David Farnor | On 25, Apr 2021

The 2021 Raindance Film Festival may be several months away, but the Raindance online platform is shining a spotlight on a new short film this week, with the world premiere of Blossom.

An international collaboration from young filmmakers and artists in the UK and Tunisia, the project began when 38 young filmmakers from Fully Focused Productions in the UK and Boubli in Tunisia met in January. In the 12 weeks that followed, without a single face to face meeting and a language barrier to overcome, they got to know each other, explored the things they have in common, and developed the concept and script about the importance of creative expression and how the arts provide an opportunity to process difficult emotions and connect with others.

The result is Blossom, a short film about Gharbi, a young man in Tunisia, and Lauren, a young woman in London. Connected through their art and creativity, the audience is invited to see that despite different cultural and socioeconomic contexts, everyone shares struggles, emotions and values.

The film stars Anis Boughanmi as Gharbi and Leonor Plácido as Lauren. It was shot on location in Tunis and London in March 2021. All filming took place in each country safely and under strict Covid-19 safety protocols. It was made possible as part of Dual Netizenship, a British Council funded project.

The film will have its premiere on the Raindance Player at 8pm on Wednesday 28th April, as part of an online In Conversation event where filmmakers involved in the project will share their experiences. The film will then be available on Raindance Player exclusively for two weeks following the premiere.

Michael Bush, Projects Director at the British Council said: Boubli is such an amazing initiative. I’ve seen the impact it’s been having in Tunisia and the reputation it has with Tunisian youth audiences. We knew Boubli and the young people working on it would have a lot to offer. We knew likewise that this is a space where UK youth culture are pioneers. Just look where Fully Focused productions has come from and what they have achieved!”

To watch the film, head to cinema.raindance.org.

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