The Art of Mezoued (2009)

"The Art of Mezoued" tells the story of the life and work of the leading figures of Tunisian mezoued, a genre of popular music based on bagpipes. It portrays its pioneers and its living practitioners, from consecrated stars to fallen idols and rising celebrities: Salah Farzit, Mostapha Gattel Essid, Hédi Donia, Abdelkarim Benzarti and Achraf. Through interviews, testimonies and live concerts, the film relates the dense, eventful and controversial history of mezoued. The documentary takes the viewer through mezoued's rise and its crises, its musical components and themes, its territories of deprivation and popular plebiscite, its official exclusion (until 1990!) and its phenomenal success brought by popular musicians, with their "bad boy" reputation, singular talent and cult songs - at times deviant, protesting, or simply funny, saucy and festive.