Tunisia’s south to morph into cinema hotspot amid tourism expansion plans

Tunisia plans to transform its southern region into a cinema hub as part of efforts to boost local film making, its tourism ministry said on Thursday, citing the launch of a marquee project. "Destination Tataouine," a reference to the North African nation's southernmost region, is a key development project that aims to bring greater exposure to the region with a blend of international cinema and Tunisia's beguiling cultural landscapes, said film producer Fouzi Barakati. He expected the project to be instrumental in transforming local cinema by providing the proper infrastructure that would help further develop film production, subsequently pushing foward plans to lure more foreign tourists. On the intricacies of the project, US film producer Erik Hall revealed that special centers dedicated to the development of film production will be launched in a bid to create a "new generation" of Tunisian film producers, while simultaneously shining the spotlight on some of the country's most renowned destinations, h e said. Efforts are also underway to improve the city's transportation system to accomodate for the expected surge in foreign tourist arrivals, he said, all of whom will be eager to get acquainted with the country's rich history and culture, he underlined. The southern Tunisian city of Tataouine is famous for being the location of some of the most iconic scenes of blockbuster film Star Wars. Source: Kuwait News Agency