Written and directed by Ben Attia, the film had its world premiere in Venice during the festival's last days. It was attended by the director and the cast, including Majd Mastoura, the young actor Walid Bouchhioua, and Samer Bisharat.

The screening was also attended by numerous esteemed guests, influential figures, and prominent members of the media, all of whom showered it with praise, the film's distribution company reported. 

Hopes are high for the film, which is competing for the Venice Horizons Award. The director has already achieved great success with Heidi, his 2016 debut feature that won the Best First Feature Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Mastoura - who also stars in Behind the Mountains - won the Best Actor award at the same festival.

Behind the Mountains follows a man who violently breaks free from his banal environment, evading society with its principles, codes, and institutions.

The film stars Majd Mastoura, Samer Bisharat, Walid Bouchhioua, Salma Zeghidi, and Helmi Dridi.

Mohamed Ben Attia was born in Tunisia in 1976. He graduated from the Institut de Hautes Etudes Commerciales in 1998 before studying Audiovisual Communication at the University of Valenciennes in France.

He kicked off his filmmaking career with five shorts before releasing Heidi. 

He found similar success in his second feature film, Dear Son which went on to screen as part of the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes in 2018.

The 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival runs between 30 August and 9 September 2023.