Out of Basarabia
Short Film Corner at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival
Out of Basarabia in 2008
In 2008, Sophie repeated her success with a new mobile phone film, « Out of Basarabia », this time shot in Tunisia. Her film was the only one to represent Tunisia at the « Short Film Corner Festival » in Cannes. A year later, the Experimental Film Festival of Sousse in Tunisia invited her to lead a masterclass on this subject for young artists. Both films were screened, and they were also shown in several theaters in Tunisia, including the famous and magnificent Castle of Baron d’Erlanger, « Dar Nejma Ezzahra » , which now houses « The Center for Arab and Mediterranean Music ».
Out of Basarabia was the only film to represent Tunisia at the “Short Film Corner” at the “Cannes Film Festival in 2008”
Fall in love with a country and a continent, through the eyes of a man, on the top of the mythical hill of Sidi Bou Saïd, also called the hill of Saints and Prophets, at the gates of Great Carthage. Blurring cultural and geographical differences, in search of light and truth, a Romanian gypsy from Bessarabia draws a colorful frame, where breathtaking landscapes, ancient memories, and texts of unconditional love mix. Breaking down, under the weight of words, imaginary barriers, and reestablishing, thanks to the symbolic violin notes, the link between Eastern Europe and North Africa.
Love trumps all other thoughts and becomes legend.
What press had to say…
"When identity is as much about origins as it is about life choices, when the haggard black highlighting the gypsy’s eyes lets itself be carried by the blue of the balconies, “Out of Basarabia” finds its No Man's in the bay of Sidi Bou Saïd. Land of peace. The baptism poem by Sophie Reverdi."
Tarek M’Rad « Qui Proquo » RTCI
"I haven't “seen” this film, but I drank it. This delicate love story reflects authentic originality. Sophie Reverdi, reinvents the film industry, expresses its humanity, and participates in universal culture. By the depth of its reflection, it pays homage to Tunisia, and to its people, to a man in particular. The work is both strong and tender, serious and light."
Nadia Ayadi, Rédactrice en chef de « Femmes Réalités »
"Well done Sophie for your great short film, as well as Tarek El Ouaer for the editing and thanks to Kamel Cherif for the soundtrack. Big surprise in Cannes: “You were worthy representatives of Tunisia in the catalog of short films."
Faïza Majeri « Mémoire de mots » RTCI
"A poignant short film, which tells a beautiful story of passionate love under Elyssa's sky. The support may be modest, but it stands out strongly from a conventional scenario."
Slaheddine Ben M’Barek » Journal parlé Français » RTCI
"Out of Bassarabia, by Sophie Reverdi, is a message of peace, deep reconstruction, openness, unconditional love, within everyone's reach. The continuation of an initiatory journey, on the prophetic hill of Sidi Bou Saïd… The sublime violin of Kamel Chérif draws the link between the East and the Eastern West, of Sophie's ancestral Bassarabia."
Kalthoum Jemail, painter and journalist.
My roots
I like to say they're Transylvanian, since my mother was born in the town of Count Vlad, more commonly known as Dracula. They're Romanian and gypsy, especially gypsy and nomadic, I claim in my heart and soul, because I'll never stop exploring this wonderful, vast world to which I belong; because I also like to sleep with my clothes on sometimes when I'm cold, I like to walk barefoot, and talk and shout like a gypsy, and because I'm a bit psychic like a fortune teller, I just need to learn to spit on the floor. Because I love the panpipes of Zemphir, and the Taraf of Haydoucs transports me. Because my mother used to read in the coffee pot, because I liked to hear her sing in Romanian and roll the “R ”s when she spoke French perfectly...
Ukrainian, because my great-grandparents were Ukrainian and balalaika tunes make me cry, Prokofief bewitches me. Because I love the scent of myrtle, which symbolizes purity, love and fertility, and lilac, which reminds me of the Ukraine I've heard about but never been to. Because I love red velvet and ornamentation, icons, borscht with pirojkis and crème fraîche, Syrniky and Bizon grass vodka. Because I love the passion and melodrama of the people there, and the first play I ever did was by Chekov. Because the Russian Tea Room in New York was my second home, even if I prefer violin galore to caviar by the ladleful.
I like the idea of the words “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité” (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity), even though they don't always evoke France to me any more, given the hatred and disrespect I've felt between the two, but at least they remind me of the façade of the National Assembly, where I contemplated these wonderful words from my childhood. I love the idea of having been born and raised in the city of lovers. I love the Place du Tertre, where painters tell you you're beautiful, and guinguette tunes like “ah le petit vin blanc”, the Pont de l'Alma, where the order of things led me to a café terrace one June afternoon, when I was 20, and carried me on the current of the Seine to the Canal de l'Ourcq, to tip my whole life into what was to be my destiny and that of my descendants.