Oscars 2025: Tunisia Picks ‘Take My Breath’ for International Feature Race

As a passionate film enthusiast with a soft spot for films that challenge societal norms and shed light on underrepresented narratives, I am thrilled about Tunisia’s selection of “Take My Breath” as their entry for the 2025 Academy Awards.


2025 sees Tunisia choosing “Take My Breath,” a first-time filmmaking venture by Nada Mezni Hafaiedh, as its submission in the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars.

The story unfolds around Shams, a young tailor who lives a peaceful life. However, their serene existence is disrupted when secrets about their intersex identity and the passionate love triangle they’re involved in surface. This revelation attracts an obsessive stalker, compelling Shams to flee to the bustling city of Tunis.

Amina Ben Smail is featured with Gael García Bernal and Renate Reinsve in the film “Another End,” directed by Pierro Mesina, which was entered into the Berlin Film Festival. Shams is the character played by Ben Smail. Sana Ben Cheikh Larbi, Mohamed Mrad, and Fatima Ben Saidane are also part of the cast. The production of this film is a collaboration between Slim Hafaiedh of Leyth Production and Ziad H. Hamzeh of Hamzeh Mystique Films.

Last year, Steal My Breath debuted on the global stage at the Warsaw Film Festival and has since become a domestic box office sensation.

Worldwide distribution rights for the feature film have been acquired by Mad Solutions, who are experts in marketing movies from the Middle East and North Africa.

As a gamer, I’m super pumped to share some exciting news about Tunisian cinema! In 2020, Kaouther Ben Hania’s mind-blowing film The Man Who Sold His Skin scored a nomination for the best international feature category at the Oscars. Fast forward to 2023, her groundbreaking non-fiction feature Four Daughters made it to the international shortlist and landed another nomination – this time for best documentary! Talk about making history!

Here are the key dates for the upcoming Academy Awards:

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2024-10-01 19:56