The Tunisian actress and judge for the IWC Filmmaker Award at Diff talks career, religion and the importance of art in bridging boundaries

Tell us about being on the IWC judging panel.

It was a beautiful experience because on this jury we read scripts instead of watching films. Reading scripts is a lonelier experience.

The beauty of a script is that you and I will read them, but we will not imagine the same film since it is all based on our point of view and cinematic DNA. The filmmakers are young and there are many women participating this year. I am proud about that. What’s the way forward for Arab women filmmakers?

Now, the Arab women filmmakers are much more outspoken. They want to work, assert themselves and do something positive in Arab society. They are less apologetic. They are proud about being multifaceted and speak about what they want or don’t want. As an Arab woman who has been working in this region for 20 years, I have seen the progress of this new generation of women. I am proud of them and many are making beautiful movies. They touch me by their will, their strength and their smartness.

As an actress, did you feel discriminated against when you started your career at 14?

I was lucky that I came from a country where women have equal rights to men and where women’s rights are advanced when compared to other countries in the region. I have always been an ambassador for Tunisian women who are strong and who are active in civil society.

Even in the films I chose, I always selected roles which showed the modern Arab women or conflicts of a woman who wanted to be something more than just a weak part in society. I was never interested in playing the quiet, weak woman on the big screen. I want to play the strong, opinionated women. This didn’t always bring me friends in this region and I have been labelled as someone who