SC-S28/W2-Movie Highlights | Based on True Events | Beauty and the Dogs

_{Edited by Canva}

Hello steemians,

Some films move us, others amuse us, and a few manage to expose us to a reality so raw and unfiltered that their emotional impact remains long after the last image disappears into the darkness. “Beauty and the Dogs”, directed with remarkable audacity by Kaouther Ben Hania, belongs to this rare category because it reveals without embellishment or cinematic sweetness the painful truth lived in silence by countless women across North Africa.

What makes this film even more powerful is that it is based neither on fiction nor on exaggeration, it is entirely rooted in a true story inspired by the terrible ordeal experienced in 2012 by Meriem Ben Mohamed, a young Tunisian woman whose life changed in a single night and whose determination has since resonated far beyond her personal tragedy.

This film resonated deeply with the realities of our culture, our struggles and our quest for justice, and that is precisely why I chose it for this challenge. It offers a striking portrait of a Tunisia suspended between the promise of freedom and the threat of persistent abuses, of a country torn between revolutionary hope and old social reflexes, and of a society oscillating between the desire to heal and the weight of an unresolved trauma.

Did the movie make you more curious about the real-life story?

Absolutely, from the end of the film, I felt an urgent need to know more about the real woman behind the character, because understanding her truth seemed essential to fully grasping the weight of her experience. So I searched for interviews, articles and legal documents related to the case, and what I found was both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Meriem Ben Mohamed did far more than simply survive the violence she suffered, through an extraordinary act of courage, she exposed the systemic failings of the Tunisian police and launched a national debate on women's rights. She confronted an institution that should have protected her, at a time when fear and humiliation could easily have silenced her. The more I learned about her, the more I realized how faithfully the film portrayed her emotional distress as well as her extraordinary determination.

Which scene or moment felt the most powerful or emotional?

The most unforgettable moment for me is the scene where Mariam, exhausted after hours of desperate attempts to get help, is refused something as basic as a medical certificate that could confirm the assault she suffered. She stands alone in a brightly lit hospital corridor, trembling and disoriented, her dignity already shattered, facing doctors who question her truth, nurses who avoid her gaze, and guards who try to intimidate her into silence, the camera remains focused on her face and captures every tremor, every tear, every glimmer of fear mixed with defiance, she begs for help, but receives in return only the cold and dehumanizing indifference of bureaucracy.

This moment was experienced as a blow to the heart because it reflects the daily reality of many women in our region, faced not only with the violence of crime, but also with the violence of disbelief, the violence of institutional neglect and the violence of a society that judges quickly but protects slowly, this single scene carries the emotional essence of the entire film and echoes the experiences lived by countless women.

What lessons did you learn from the true story portrayed?

First lesson: Courage is not always loud. It can be a young woman standing alone before people who could destroy her life while refusing to let her voice be taken away.

Second lesson: Institutions can fail the people they are supposed to protect, the movie exposes how deeply corruption, intimidation, and old authoritarian habits remain rooted in post revolution Tunisia even when society claims to have changed.

Third lesson: Telling the truth is a battle in itself, even when evidence is undeniable, society often prefers comfort to justice, Meriem’s story reminded me that speaking out is already an act of resistance.

Fourth lesson: Change often begins with individuals who dare to confront injustice, Meriem’s decision to fight forced Tunisia to face uncomfortable truths and inspired reforms that encouraged other women to come forward.

How did it make you feel about the people or time period it represented?

The film immersed me in a Tunisia of poignant authenticity, with its streets, its accents, its chaotic hospitals and the indifferent or conflicting expressions of its inhabitants. It depicts a nation still searching for balance after the revolution, a society that dreams of freedom but continues to clash with old oppressive mentalities that survive behind new political rhetoric. Watching this film inspired both pride and anger in me. Proud because the resilience and strength of Tunisian women shine so powerfully on screen, and angry because the injustice they suffer remains so deeply entrenched.

This was not simply a film for me. It was a mirror reflecting the silent struggles around us and a reminder to look at our society with sharper awareness and deeper empathy.

Trailer