The night I watched “Round 13” at the Cairo International Film Festival, within the Arab Horizons Competition, I walked out with a weight in my chest — the kind of emotional imprint only a sincere, well-crafted film can leave behind. And now, as the film continues its remarkable journey with a celebrated world premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), it has become clear that what we witnessed in Cairo was more than a screening; it was the emergence of a powerful new voice in Arab cinema.
From the opening frame, director Mohamed Ali Nahdi demonstrates a mature cinematic intuition. The film is carefully composed, visually restrained yet emotionally expansive. Nothing is exaggerated, nothing is rushed — pain is framed with dignity, and humanity is portrayed with precision.
“Round 13” follows Kamel, a former boxing champion whose world collapses when his young son falls seriously ill. But the illness is merely the doorway; the real story lies in the internal struggle — the collapse behind the façade of strength. Speaking at PÖFF, Nahdi phrased it beautifully:
“The film isn’t about a fight in the ring — it’s about the fight within, when a person faces losing what they love most.”
This internal conflict is embodied masterfully by Helmi Dridi, delivering one of his most compelling performances to date. Beside him, Afef Ben Mahmoud brings a quiet intensity and emotional depth to the mother’s role — a performance shaped more by silence than speech.
And then there is Hadi, the young actor who becomes the emotional heart of the film. Healthy in real life, yet astonishingly authentic on screen, he was discovered by chance after telling the director: “I want to act.”
Sometimes, talent doesn’t emerge — it simply appears.
One detail that stayed with me was his mother’s reaction during the Cairo screening: she chose not to enter the hall, waiting outside until the film ended. It was a subtle reminder of how deeply art can intersect with real emotion, even when the story is fictional.
Following Cairo, the film made a striking appearance in Tallinn, where Dridi and Ben Mahmoud caught attention on the black carpet before joining a thoughtful conversation about the film’s emotional resonance.
“Round 13” now continues its journey to a film festival in Iran, expanding its reach beyond the Arab region.
Produced by Paprika Films and Atlas Vision, the film is an Arab–European co-production between Tunisia, Cyprus, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, reflecting a broader trend of Arab stories gaining momentum on the international stage.
“Round 13” is not a film about illness. It is a film about fatherhood, fear, fragility, and the silent battles we fight alone. It is a reminder that the hardest round is always the one fought within.
TunisianMonitorOnline Correspondent (Douha Essaafi)
