"Together with Jean-Pierre we've produced 'Fatwa', from Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud, a Tunesian living in Belgium. The film tells the story of a father who returns to Tunesia to bury his son who died from an apparent suicide. The scenario had repeatedly been rejected by some French producers because the film supposedly stated that the murderers are among us. Mahmoud, who knows a lot about Muslim culture and knew the Muslim recruiters who are at the origin of Sharia4Belgium, said to me: "That's crazy, they don't understand what's happening." And that was in 2008." (Luc Dardenne)
Focusing on key Arab films produced in the last 20 years. Férid Boughedir traces the development of the film-makers' concern to produce more socially aware cinema. Themes include the issue of Palestinian homeland rights and the nature of Arab identity. The film-makers also share a desire to develop a strong poetic tradition.