Algeria gets top prize at film cinema festival

At the 17th cinema festival of Carthage which wound up Saturday, the highest reward, the Golden Tanit, was won by Algerian Bourlem Guerdouj for his movie "Vivre au Paradis" (living in Paradise), while the silver tanit went to an Egyptian movie-maker and the bronze tanit was grabbed by a Malian.

Moroccan short movie "La Falaise" (the hill), of Faouzi Bensaid, obtained the "silver tanit" prize. The 18 mn-long movie tells the story of Hakim and his younger brother Said, who do small jobs. The golden tanit of short moves went to a Tunisian movie "Le Festin" (The Feast).

The festival also granted other prizes, such as the Organization of African Unity prize (Lebanon), the prize of French cable TV "Canal Horizons" (Tunisia) and the Don Quichotte foundation prize (Mali).

A total of 20 movies and 15 short movies from 15 Arab and African countries were competing for prizes at the festival, held between last October 23-31. Some 100 other movies were screened out of contest in the event.