Discover the best of Tunisian cinema, film, and television
Discover the definitive list of popular and critically-acclaimed movies and TV shows from Tunisia. Find your next binge-watch, streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
The cinema of Tunisia
Tunisian cinema boasts a rich cultural heritage that reflects the nation's unique position at the crossroads of Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Arab world. The industry gained international prominence through pioneering directors who carved out a distinctive cinematic voice, with films like "The Ambassadors" (1976), "Sun of the Hyenas" (1977), "Aziza" (1980), and "The Trace" (1982) making their mark on international festival circuits. The crowning achievement came in 2013 when Abdellatif Kechiche became the first-ever Tunisian director to win the Palme d'Or award for "Blue Is the Warmest Colour," splitting the prestigious prize with his two lead actresses. This victory placed Tunisia firmly on the world cinema map and inspired a new generation of filmmakers. Contemporary Tunisian cinema is remarkably diverse and bold. Director Abdelhamid Bouchnak created another milestone in 2018 with Tunisia's first horror film, "Dachra," which became a resounding success. Meanwhile, prominent directors like Férid Boughedir, Kaouther Ben Hania, and the late Moufida Tlatli have established Tunisia as a powerhouse of Arab cinema. Television programming has evolved significantly, with Al-Wataniya 2 striking gold by re-broadcasting comedies and dramas from the "golden days" of Tunisian TV, tapping into overwhelming nostalgia for family cohesion and community solidarity. Modern television includes everything from entertainment talk shows to dramatic series exploring contemporary social issues. What makes Tunisian cinema exceptional is its fearless exploration of personal and political themes, often examining the intersection between individual stories and broader societal changes. The 2011 revolution has particularly energised filmmakers, creating a new wave of socially conscious cinema that resonates both locally and internationally.
Best Tunisian series
Choufli Hal 2005
Sboui lives next to his brother and mother. Many funny adventures ensue in the old building of a fortune teller as he falls in love with her daughter. Sboui works as a secretary at his brother's office, a psychotherapist.
80
Harga 2021
77
Nhar Ala Amar 2024
80
Ragouj 2024
Youssef, a nobody with tons of debts and nothing in his life, is offered a job by his uncle to oversee the construction of an elementary school in the far away rural town of Ragouj. He learns the good and bad of his new home and its people.
70
El Fetna 2025
After the death of Arbi Sallemi, his children are forced to confront long-buried tensions, family rivalries, and financial struggles. What begins as a father’s attempt to reunite his fractured family soon turns into a battle over inheritance, as his children navigate grief, resentment, and personal ambition. With secrets unraveling and conflicts escalating, the fight for what remains threatens to tear them apart.
70
Bolice 2015
The security team works to search for the criminals and arrest them after collecting sufficient information, but in a comedic and funny way, especially in the repeated clash in the thoughts and actions of the operations commander, Rashid, with one of the squad members, Ammar.
70
Best Tunisian movies
Dachra 2019
Come for Tunisia’s first horror film, following three students’ filmed investigation of weird rumors in a remote village, and stay for the sickening madness, macabre witchcraft, ghastly beheadings, and gory cannibalism.
61
Halfaouine: Boy of the Terraces 1990
Twelve-year-old Noura dangles uncertainly in that difficult netherworld between childhood and adulthood. His growing libido has gotten him banned from the women's baths, where his mother took him when he was younger, but he's not yet old enough to participate in grown-up discussions with the men of his Tunisian village. Noura's only real friend is a troublemaker named Salih -- the village political outcast.
63
A Son 2020
Tunisia, summer 2011. The holiday to the South of the country ends in disaster for Fares, Meriem and their 10-year-old son Aziz, when he is accidentally shot in an ambush. His injury will change their lives: Aziz needs a liver transplant, which leads to discovery of a long-buried secret. Will Aziz and the relationship survive?
70
Under the Fig Trees 2022
Among the trees, young women and men working the summer harvest develop new feelings, flirt, try to understand each other, find – and flee – deeper connections.
62
Tomorrow 2022
Habib and his 15 year old son Ahmed from his previous marriage, are brought together by Habib’s worsening state of health. Habib’s political past during the dictatorship in Tunisia is dangerously affecting his present. The roles are reversed, Ahmed has to protect his father and try to keep him safe. Habib and Ahmed find themselves in a chaotic position that neither is prepared for.
66
Butterfly 2017
A small conservative city young man with passion for filmmaking, enrolls in a photography contest to be admitted to a film school, his contest subject doesn't sit well with the locals.
100