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WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM competes at 8th El Gouna Film Festival
17 September 2025
After winning rave reviews from critics during its international festival tour, the Tunisian comedy feature film WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM by Amel Guellaty is set to hold its Arab World premiere as part of the Feature Narrative Competition at the 8th El Gouna Film Festival, taking place from October 16th to 24th, with screening dates to be announced soon by the festival.
The film follows 19-year-old Alyssa and shy 23-year-old Mehdi as they dream of escaping their reality. Upon discovering a contest offering a chance to flee, they embark on a road trip to southern Tunisia, overcoming several obstacles along the way.
Fresh off its booming world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM has made its way to major international festivals, including Rotterdam and Istanbul, receiving praise for its emotional depth, strong performances, and striking visuals.
The film also won the Golden Bee for Best Film at the Mediterranean Film Festival in Malta and the Best Narrative Feature Award at the Toronto Arab Film Festival during its international tour.
Director Amel Guellaty expressed her excitement about the selection, stating, "I am deeply honored to present my film at El Gouna Film Festival, a place that has supported it from the early stages of development through post-production. I feel proud and grateful to finally share the result of years of work here. Bringing the film back to the MENA region means a great deal to me, and I can’t wait to present it to the audience."
Throughout its international festival run, WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM has garnered widespread acclaim from critics across the globe. Variety’s Murtada Elfadl praised it as “a visually striking film that packs in many themes within the simple framework of the road trip movie,” while Cineuropa’s Martin Kudláč highlighted its portrayal of “a lost generation that wants to reinvent itself.”
Amel Guellaty’s direction has also been especially celebrated for its balance of humor and poignancy, with Santanu Das of Hindustan Times describing the film as “a small miracle of a film with a giant, giant heart.” Ahmed Shawky of Fasllah hailed it as “a fresh new voice in Tunisian cinema,” adding that it is “unlike most Tunisian films we've seen in recent years,” further cementing the film’s status as a standout in contemporary Arab cinema.
The film is written and directed by Amel Guellaty and produced by Asma Chiboub, of Tunisia’s Atlas Vision. It stars Slim Baccar, Eya Bellagha, Sondos Belhassen, and Lobna Noomane.
Cinematography is by Frida Marzouk, with editing by Amel Guellaty, Ghalya Lacroix, and Malek Kammoun. Music is composed by Omar Aloulou, and sound is by Aymen Labidi, with Arab distribution and sales handled by MAD Distribution.
Amel Guellaty, born in 1988, is a Tunisian director, screenwriter, and photographer who transitioned to cinema after studying law at the Sorbonne, working as an assistant on films such as APRÈS MAI by Olivier Assayas and FOREIGN BODY by Raja Amari.
She made her directorial debut in 2017 with BLACK MAMBA, which was selected for over 60 international festivals and won 20 awards and was later acquired by Canal+ and Italy’s RT Channel; her second short film, CHITANA (2022), received international acclaim, and she has also directed commercial campaigns for global brands including Dior, Montblanc, and IWC; WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM marks her first feature film.
The film follows 19-year-old Alyssa and shy 23-year-old Mehdi as they dream of escaping their reality. Upon discovering a contest offering a chance to flee, they embark on a road trip to southern Tunisia, overcoming several obstacles along the way.
Fresh off its booming world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM has made its way to major international festivals, including Rotterdam and Istanbul, receiving praise for its emotional depth, strong performances, and striking visuals.
The film also won the Golden Bee for Best Film at the Mediterranean Film Festival in Malta and the Best Narrative Feature Award at the Toronto Arab Film Festival during its international tour.
Director Amel Guellaty expressed her excitement about the selection, stating, "I am deeply honored to present my film at El Gouna Film Festival, a place that has supported it from the early stages of development through post-production. I feel proud and grateful to finally share the result of years of work here. Bringing the film back to the MENA region means a great deal to me, and I can’t wait to present it to the audience."
Throughout its international festival run, WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM has garnered widespread acclaim from critics across the globe. Variety’s Murtada Elfadl praised it as “a visually striking film that packs in many themes within the simple framework of the road trip movie,” while Cineuropa’s Martin Kudláč highlighted its portrayal of “a lost generation that wants to reinvent itself.”
Amel Guellaty’s direction has also been especially celebrated for its balance of humor and poignancy, with Santanu Das of Hindustan Times describing the film as “a small miracle of a film with a giant, giant heart.” Ahmed Shawky of Fasllah hailed it as “a fresh new voice in Tunisian cinema,” adding that it is “unlike most Tunisian films we've seen in recent years,” further cementing the film’s status as a standout in contemporary Arab cinema.
The film is written and directed by Amel Guellaty and produced by Asma Chiboub, of Tunisia’s Atlas Vision. It stars Slim Baccar, Eya Bellagha, Sondos Belhassen, and Lobna Noomane.
Cinematography is by Frida Marzouk, with editing by Amel Guellaty, Ghalya Lacroix, and Malek Kammoun. Music is composed by Omar Aloulou, and sound is by Aymen Labidi, with Arab distribution and sales handled by MAD Distribution.
Amel Guellaty, born in 1988, is a Tunisian director, screenwriter, and photographer who transitioned to cinema after studying law at the Sorbonne, working as an assistant on films such as APRÈS MAI by Olivier Assayas and FOREIGN BODY by Raja Amari.
She made her directorial debut in 2017 with BLACK MAMBA, which was selected for over 60 international festivals and won 20 awards and was later acquired by Canal+ and Italy’s RT Channel; her second short film, CHITANA (2022), received international acclaim, and she has also directed commercial campaigns for global brands including Dior, Montblanc, and IWC; WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM marks her first feature film.
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