The word 'Bezness' is an alternative spelling of the Franglais word 'business'; in North Africa it refers to the setting up of a small enterprise from no initial capital. As an activity, 'bezness' is a means for young Maghrebi men to make money where they might otherwise be unemployed. As a type of person, 'les bezness' are the boys themselves, who (like Rufa) act as gigolos to tourists, often disregarding age and sexual orientation.
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The film calls the viewer to consider the phenomenon of tourism and its consequences. Relatively undeveloped until the 1960s, Tunisia's Sousse region has seen a rapid growth of tourism since this time. As a knock-on effect, local culture has grown to cater for the demands of the tourist industry.
Bouzid's main objective is to show the depths to which tourism exerts its influences on contemporary Tunisian society. His recognition of the multi-faceted and complicated nature of tourism is clearly reflected in the film's characterisation and setting. To expand: we are shown both the European-style resorts where Rufa and the other 'bezness' prowl, as well as the independent traveller - Fred - in his independent quest to 'dévoiler' (unveil) the secret behind the life of local people in the old town. The two contrasting worlds meet when Fred's insensitive camera-poking causes him to have it confiscated several times: he relies on (and pays) Rufa to get him out of such awkward situations.
Ostensibly, Fred's attitude towards his surroundings appears to be more positive than the cultural ignorance of the average package tourist. Independent travellers like Fred at least have a desire to gain a degree of understanding of the local people and the culture. However, Bouzid rejects this assumption by showing us that ultimately, Fred's actions are as destructive to the local people as is mass-tourism.
Bouzid says of Fred's character: "I would like spectators to be tricked into identifying with unflattering characters. This was the case in 'Bezness'. They (Western viewers) saw themselves in an image that was not at all flattering, but which they were forced to like because it was touching. They caught themselves liking a character they would despise in real life."
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The emerging self-doubt of the three main characters becomes apparent when we see them alone, experiencing self-doubt or searching for some kind of salvation. Examples of this are the scenes of Rufa alone on the beach, Khomsa contemplating herself in the mirror, and Fred's soul-searching voice-over. The opening lines of the film, uttered by Rufa's younger brother - "Tu es perdu?" (Are you lost?) - become symbolic in retrospect when we see that all three characters are ultimately 'lost'.
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The notion that 'bezness' is a "revenge against the poverty that is all around", as El-Kehel tells Fred, fails to mask the fact that the gigolos are simply pawns in the tourist machine. As Rufa himself says, "We sell part of a dream". Rufa justifies his activities to himself and to Khomsa in material terms: "I have a family to look after ... We are too broke to be in love". Such statements cause his conservative family values to clash with the sexual permissiveness of his lifestyle. Rufa leads a double life and tries desperately to keep separate these two opposing environments. However, the freedom with which he moves between them weighs increasingly heavily on his conscience and causes his self-esteem to plummet, leading him to despair; he becomes a "foreigner in his own country". His apparent confidence and strength of character ultimately prove a myth.
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Like Rufa, Khomsa becomes increasingly disillusioned with her situation. She is strong-willed and has an independent spirit. She loves Rufa deeply but is not prepared to suffer in silence as he seduces untold numbers of foreign women. She laments her lack of freedom and power - "All my life, doomed to silence". Her entanglement with Fred leads to further confusion and instability, to the point that she tries to cleanse herself through entrancement at the 'reHba' ritual. We are forced to speculate over the extent to which her situation has been manipulated by the presence of tourism (both from meeting Fred and from seeing Rufa's immoral behaviour), contrasting with the repressions of her freedom by traditional family constraints.
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The viewer cannot ignore the juxtaposition of modernity and tradition, visibly apparent throughout the film: horse-drawn carts share the roads with cars and buses, and traditional Islamic architecture in the old town (such as zeliij tiling) is intermingled with the vistas of blocky tourist hotels. The most provocative shot in the film - which was surely influential in its censorship subsequent to release - shows a fully veiled woman strip down to a bikini. Bouzid highlights clearly the stark contrast - and coexistence - of Islamic tradition and Western permissiveness.
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'Bezness' carries an important message regarding the problems that arise from the rapid growth of tourism in regions like the Tunisian Sousse. The following statement from Mathieson & Wall (1982) is a noteworthy observation of tourism's long-term effects: 'It is ironic that the destinations with the most to gain from tourism, particularly developing countries, also appear to be the most vulnerable to its undesirable consequences ... The future of tourism is paradoxical because tourists are destroying the very resources that they come to enjoy.'
-
The film calls the viewer to consider the phenomenon of tourism and its consequences. Relatively undeveloped until the 1960s, Tunisia's Sousse region has seen a rapid growth of tourism since this time. As a knock-on effect, local culture has grown to cater for the demands of the tourist industry.
Bouzid's main objective is to show the depths to which tourism exerts its influences on contemporary Tunisian society. His recognition of the multi-faceted and complicated nature of tourism is clearly reflected in the film's characterisation and setting. To expand: we are shown both the European-style resorts where Rufa and the other 'bezness' prowl, as well as the independent traveller - Fred - in his independent quest to 'dévoiler' (unveil) the secret behind the life of local people in the old town. The two contrasting worlds meet when Fred's insensitive camera-poking causes him to have it confiscated several times: he relies on (and pays) Rufa to get him out of such awkward situations.
Ostensibly, Fred's attitude towards his surroundings appears to be more positive than the cultural ignorance of the average package tourist. Independent travellers like Fred at least have a desire to gain a degree of understanding of the local people and the culture. However, Bouzid rejects this assumption by showing us that ultimately, Fred's actions are as destructive to the local people as is mass-tourism.
Bouzid says of Fred's character: "I would like spectators to be tricked into identifying with unflattering characters. This was the case in 'Bezness'. They (Western viewers) saw themselves in an image that was not at all flattering, but which they were forced to like because it was touching. They caught themselves liking a character they would despise in real life."
-
The emerging self-doubt of the three main characters becomes apparent when we see them alone, experiencing self-doubt or searching for some kind of salvation. Examples of this are the scenes of Rufa alone on the beach, Khomsa contemplating herself in the mirror, and Fred's soul-searching voice-over. The opening lines of the film, uttered by Rufa's younger brother - "Tu es perdu?" (Are you lost?) - become symbolic in retrospect when we see that all three characters are ultimately 'lost'.
-
The notion that 'bezness' is a "revenge against the poverty that is all around", as El-Kehel tells Fred, fails to mask the fact that the gigolos are simply pawns in the tourist machine. As Rufa himself says, "We sell part of a dream". Rufa justifies his activities to himself and to Khomsa in material terms: "I have a family to look after ... We are too broke to be in love". Such statements cause his conservative family values to clash with the sexual permissiveness of his lifestyle. Rufa leads a double life and tries desperately to keep separate these two opposing environments. However, the freedom with which he moves between them weighs increasingly heavily on his conscience and causes his self-esteem to plummet, leading him to despair; he becomes a "foreigner in his own country". His apparent confidence and strength of character ultimately prove a myth.
-
Like Rufa, Khomsa becomes increasingly disillusioned with her situation. She is strong-willed and has an independent spirit. She loves Rufa deeply but is not prepared to suffer in silence as he seduces untold numbers of foreign women. She laments her lack of freedom and power - "All my life, doomed to silence". Her entanglement with Fred leads to further confusion and instability, to the point that she tries to cleanse herself through entrancement at the 'reHba' ritual. We are forced to speculate over the extent to which her situation has been manipulated by the presence of tourism (both from meeting Fred and from seeing Rufa's immoral behaviour), contrasting with the repressions of her freedom by traditional family constraints.
-
The viewer cannot ignore the juxtaposition of modernity and tradition, visibly apparent throughout the film: horse-drawn carts share the roads with cars and buses, and traditional Islamic architecture in the old town (such as zeliij tiling) is intermingled with the vistas of blocky tourist hotels. The most provocative shot in the film - which was surely influential in its censorship subsequent to release - shows a fully veiled woman strip down to a bikini. Bouzid highlights clearly the stark contrast - and coexistence - of Islamic tradition and Western permissiveness.
-
'Bezness' carries an important message regarding the problems that arise from the rapid growth of tourism in regions like the Tunisian Sousse. The following statement from Mathieson & Wall (1982) is a noteworthy observation of tourism's long-term effects: 'It is ironic that the destinations with the most to gain from tourism, particularly developing countries, also appear to be the most vulnerable to its undesirable consequences ... The future of tourism is paradoxical because tourists are destroying the very resources that they come to enjoy.'
