Directed by Margaux Fitoussi, and Mo Scarpelli
Documentary Short
France Tunisia | 2017 | 15 min
In French, and Arabic
with English subtitles
Watch TrailerHow do the fortresses we build to protect ourselves affect the people we become? Through a cinematic journey of the Hara (former Jewish Quarter of Tunis, Tunisia) today, punctuated by an exclusive interview with Albert Memmi and readings of his lyrical prose, EL HARA explores how the places we come from shape who we become.
Margaux Fitoussi
A filmmaker and anthropologist based in New York City, Margaux Fitoussi’s award-winning short film EL HARA (2017) was shown at the Atlanta International Film Festival, Mountain Film Festival, and New York Jewish Film Festival, as well as released online as a Jewish Film Institute Short of the Month. EL HARA was first screened as part of an exhibition Margaux curated about the Jewish neighborhood in Tunis, Tunisia, at Harvard University and Dar Ben Achour at Tunis. Two of her short films are in post-production: FLAVIO-SHIRÓ (2019) and I, TONY (2019). She is currently translating a text on Tunisian Ottoman history to be published by AUC Press later this year. From 2011–2013, as a Judith Lee Stronach Scholar, Margaux was based in Central Africa developing an early warning system in LRA-affected communities. Before beginning at Columbia University as a PhD student in anthropology, she studied at UC Berkeley and at Harvard University as a Presidential Scholar. Her research explores the cultural politics of “betrayal” and traces the history of unrest and discontent among the Tunisian Left since independence from France in 1956.
Mo Scarpelli
Brooklyn-based filmmaker and multimedia journalist Mo Scarpelli uses character-driven stories to connect people, challenge notions and share perspectives on global issues. Scarpelli’s journalism work has been published with the BBC, The Wall Street Journal, Africa Review, The Huffington Post, Gothamist and Narratively. Scarpelli has also directed and produced promotional films for such brands as Isaac Mizrahi, Yahoo! and Vistaprint. Before forming Rake Films in 2012, he spent over two years directing, shooting, editing and producing media for the nonprofit organization Charity: Water. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Missouri, where she spearheaded multimedia storytelling for traditional news outlets, as well as The Columbia Missourian. Scarpelli is co-directors with Alexandria Bombach of the film Frame by Frame, which tells the story of photojournalism in Afghanistan