We are thrilled to announce that Visionär Films has acquired international sales rights to The Hallow Man (هلع), the debut feature by Tunisian filmmaker Kamel Laaridhi.
We couldn’t be more excited to join the journey of this bold and unsettling sci-fi film, which will have its World Premiere in Competition at the 41st International Critics’ Week at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 9, 2026.
Only seven first features have been selected for this year’s International Critics’ Week competition, making the selection a particularly exciting recognition for a new voice in Tunisian cinema.
Set in Tunisia, 2059, The Hallow Man takes us into a future where a biochip regulates memory and emotion, and hypnosis has become a crime. Taha, a poet who creates feelings for people who can no longer access their own, secretly undergoes a forbidden hypnosis session — setting him on a journey into a forest, a mysterious house, and ultimately toward the truth of his own birth.
A haunting, thought-provoking debut that explores memory, identity, emotion, and the boundaries of human freedom.
We are proud to represent Kamel Laaridhi’s first feature internationally and look forward to introducing The Hallow Man to festivals, distributors and audiences around the world.
Read the article on SCREENDAILY
VENICE OFFICIAL SCREENING SCHEDULE
Press & Industry Screening:
Tuesday, September 8 | 09:00 AM | Sala Perla
Official World Premiere (Public & All Accreditations):
Wednesday, September 9 | 02:00 PM | Sala Perla
Reruns:
Thursday, September 10 | 07:30 PM | Sala Corinto