AND STILL I RISE
Fall Grants 2024 - Development Stage
Djanis Moustapha Bouzyani / Feature Documentary / Morocco, France, Qatar / 90 min / Original Language: French / Interests: Feature Documentary
Synopsis
Aravane Rézaï grew up in a world where everything was a battle, both on and off the court. As the world’s 14th-ranked female tennis player, she beat the greats, including Venus Williams and Justine Henin. But beyond the spotlight, another battle was being fought: that of a suffocating relationship with a demanding father and a daily life marked by violence and unspoken words. At the age of 24, at the height of her career, she abruptly left the court. After 15 years away, 10 of which she hadn’t seen or spoken to her family, she decided to come back at the age of 37. Her ambition was twofold: to regain her place among the best and to try to repair what had been broken. To do this, she had to confront her past, alongside her father Arsalan, the man who shaped her but also broke her. Alongside their training, the Rézaï family undergoes transgenerational therapy to face the wounds of the past. This film tells the story of a woman’s quest to reconcile with her father and free herself from the weight of her past.
Credits
- Director
- Djanis Bouzyani
About the Director
Born in Nanterre, France, Djanis Bouzyani, trained as a dancer, starting in Paris and continuing at Debbie Reynolds' dance school in Los Angeles.
In 2015, he wrote and directed the short film Burqarnaque with Hafsia Herzi. The film was presented at several festivals, including Clermont-Ferrand.
In 2019, Hafsia Herzi made him her best friend in her first feature film Tu mérites un amour. The film was the revelation of Critics' Week at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.