By Nouha Bouazizi
Short movie « Crescendo » directed by Mohamed Ali Maatoug and Mohamed Karim Dahmouni
Drum roll.
“If you keep quiet for a bit, and I kept quiet with you, maybe you’d hear this rhythm.”
This is the narrator’s recommendation from the very beginning.
True to his words, he makes us not only hear but also feel this rhythm.
The opening sequence is a succession of saxophones, waves, and nature’s creatures. They all share the same rhythm with us.
The two young co-directors, high-school students Mohamed Ali Maatoug and Mohamed Karim Dahmouni, describe their film as a “Love letter to the music committee of our art club at the Lycée Pilote of Sousse.”
What we see on screen, however, is a love letter to music itself.
A documentary on the passion for music, interwoven with a simple fictional storyline that serves to underline this passion: a ‘harmonious’ conflict between Yomna and Yosra, a Metal lover and a soft pianist. The mix of fast pace with the energetic acting of the high-schoolers pulls you in. Almost magically. Small VFX touches finish off the spell.
Music is both a topic and a tool in the film. It personifies instruments. It creates a tension parallel to the narrative. The beats are synced with the events. They rise in a crescendo, translating thrill.
Driven by that thrill, I sought more from its makers.
The secret to a thrilling production? Very simple, the co-directors tell me:
A group of passionate high-schoolers, one camera, one laser stick, and a couple of supportive artists.
Their inspiration? They say it’s the Tunisian short film Farasha by director Issam Bouguerra, a movie that was, in turn, a love letter to cinema.The making of Crescendo was motivated by the competition of the National Forum of Cinema and Image for Middle and Secondary Schools.
It is their first film. But they already had experience working on smaller videos within their club.
It’s their passion. It rises with the film in a crescendo, and leaves us waiting for their next high note.
