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Leyla Bouzid’s À voix basse Opens in France, Confronting Tunisia’s Anti-LGBT Law

The drama links a family story to Tunisia’s criminalization of same-sex relations under Article 230.

Overview

  • The feature, which opened in French cinemas Wednesday, follows Lilia’s return to Sousse after her uncle’s funeral as she navigates hidden parts of her life and family silence.
  • The film is Bouzid’s third feature and it screened in the official competition at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.
  • The narrative unfolds under Article 230, a 1913 law that criminalizes same-sex relations in Tunisia, with recent reporting describing tougher enforcement under President Kaïs Saïed.
  • Early reviews single out Eya Bouteraa and Hiam Abbass, with praise for Sébastien Goepfer’s cinematography and a score by clarinetist-composer Yom.
  • A Tunisian release is scheduled for April 29, and coverage notes the film brings rare on-screen visibility to queer lives in a setting where lesbians often go unseen in public life.