At the 2025 Marrakech Film Festival, Tunisian actor and filmmaker Dhafer L’Abidine arrived not only as one of the Arab world’s most recognizable screen talents, but as a director unveiling a bold new chapter in his creative evolution. With Sophia, his latest feature, L’Abidine steps confidently into the realm of the thriller, a departure from the social dramas that have defined his previous work behind the camera.
Speaking just after the premiere and in an exclusive interview, L’Abidine reflected on juggling the dual roles of actor and director, risk-taking, and why he believes Arab cinema needs more spaces to thrive.
AM: Dhafer, everyone knows you as an amazing actor, but why did you decide to go into directing as well?
Dhafer L’Abidine: I’ve always been interested in storytelling. When I went to the UK, I wanted to join a directing school, but it was too expensive. So I decided to start with acting first and eventually return to directing. I had also worked as an assistant director in Tunisia before going to the UK.
AM: Wasn’t it too much to take on both acting and directing at the same time?
Dhafer L’Abidine: Not really, I enjoy it. When you write the script, you spend months developing the characters and the story, so by the time you’re preparing to shoot, you know the material inside out, even as an actor. But you need a great team to collaborate with and to help make the right decisions together.
AM: How was the pre-production and production process for Sophia? I heard it was quite a complex project.
Dhafer L’Abidine: It was good, but definitely challenging. Sophia is a thriller, which is very different from the social dramas of my previous films. I wanted to push myself and not stay in my comfort zone. The action and the pacing required a completely different approach to filmmaking.
AM: I heard you even had some injuries on set. What happened?
Dhafer L’Abidine: Yes, a lot of injuries! I had hamstring and thigh issues from the action scenes. At one point, I had to stop filming for 12 days, and when I came back, I got another hamstring injury that took seven weeks to heal. It was crazy, at one point, four people on set were injured. But that comes with shooting an action-heavy film.
Dhafer L’Abidine: I wanted to write a thriller that appeals to a wide audience, but I didn’t want it to be just a pure genre piece. I wanted it to have heart and address social issues. In a world with so much division, I wanted to show that we’re all the same at the end of the day, regardless of religion or nationality. In the film, the little girl is what unites everyone.
AM: Why did you choose to premiere Sophia at the Marrakech Film Festival?
Dhafer L’Abidine: I chose Marrakech because it’s a wonderful festival. It’s close to Europe but still an Arab and North African festival, so it feels very international. The audience is mixed, passionate, and deeply engaged with cinema. It’s a prestigious festival, and they were genuinely interested in my film, which meant a lot.
AM: How was the reaction to the film in Marrakech?
Dhafer L’Abidine: The reaction was brilliant, the audience really loved it. They’re very engaged with the films.
AM: And finally, what’s next for you? I heard you have an acting project coming up.
Dhafer L’Abidine: Yes, for the first time I’ll be acting in a Lebanese TV series which will air during Ramadan. I have a few projects in development, but for now the focus is on finishing the series.