SHORT SYNOPSIS After meeting a young Tunisian actor who bears a stunning resemblance to young Marlon Brando, master world filmmaker Ridha Behi decides to write a film starring both of them. Behi captured Brando’s interest, and collaborated closely with Brando until his death before the film began production. ALWAYS BRANDO is both a personal reflection by a veteran international filmmaker, and a fictional narrative story inspired by the young Tunisian Brando. It chronicles Behi’s fascinating saga with Marlon Brando, and is a deeply thoughtful reflection on the imperious allure and cruelty of art and cinema.

SYNOPSIS Throughout the tender years of his youth in the small town of Kairouan, Tunisia, master filmmaker Ridha Behi would slink from his school to the nearby movie theatre and discover the masterworks of the silver screen. It was then that he grew smitten with the magnetism of Marlon Brando. Years later, after meeting Anis Raache, a young Tunisian actor who bears a stunning resemblance to Brando, he wrote a script specifically tailored for “the two Brandos.” Behi tried to contact the Hollywood legend for years, and despite incredible odds, finally captured his interest. In 2004, Brando summoned Behi to his mansion on Mulholland Drive to discuss the project, and their close collaboration began. Throughout the spring of that year, Behi reworked the script closely with the reclusive, aging star. By summer, Brando’s health gave out and he passed away. A determined Behi set about re-conceiving and re-writing the screenplay into a meditation on his journey with Brando, weaving documentary footage and scenes from Brando's vast film archive within a fictional narrative that honors both his and Brando's vision. ALWAYS BRANDO chronicles both the director’s experience with Brando and the fictional story inspired by Brando: Tunisian Anis (Raache), whose destiny veers into tragedy once his resemblance to Brando presents the promise of success and fame in Hollywood. When an American film crew invades his small town, Anis is seduced by James (Christian Erickson), a middle-aged American who vows to cast him as Brando in a biopic. Thus does Anis’ adventure begin, with Behi weaving in elements of the script that Brando had worked on before his death, including an unvarnished tale of a young, struggling Arab immigrant in the post-9/11 world. ALWAYS BRANDO is complex and layered; a loving and lucid elegy to cinema, and Behi’s deeply thoughtful ruminations on its imperious allure and cruelty.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION CAST Anis Raache Anis Christian Erickson James Souhir Amara Zina Lotfi Al Abdelli Lamine Soufiene Chaari Tatay FILMMAKERS Written and Directed by……………………..Ridha Behi Produced by………………………..................Ridha Behi and Ziad H. Hamzeh Cinematographer…………….……………….Martial Barrault Editor……………………………........................Kahena Attia Art Director……………………….....................Toufik Behi Associate Producer……………………………Fawzy Djemal Unit Production Manager…………………….Abdelaziz Ben Mlouka Production Company…………………………Alya Films, Hamzeh Mystique Films & K. Lazaar Foundation World Premiere, 2011 Toronto International Film Festival

FILMMAKER STATEMENT Writer/Director/Producer RIDHA BEHI "My dear Ridha," Marlon Brando said to me. "You want to make a film in America, George W's America? I can already see at least five obstacles! First, you're an Arab and you look like an Arab. Second, you speak very little English. Third, you do not know jazz. Fourth, you have chosen me as your actor. Me. Brando. An old man in pretty bad shape. And fifth, and the fifth obstacle is much more difficult than the other four, you don't have any support whatsoever here in Hollywood." March 2004. Mulholland Drive, Brando's home. There I sat with Marlon Brando, a Tunisian filmmaker feeling intimidated from the tips of my toes to the top of my 5-feet 4-inches, face-to-face with a living legend now deathly ill, struggling to breathe, his wild spirit imprisoned in a body turned flesh and bone monster. Yet all the while he remained whimsical and lucid, tender and biting, all at the same time. His five obstacles were not only challenges for me but for him, as if he was really telling himself it was impossible. Marlon Brando spent a lifetime taking on impossible challenges, and he well knew this might be his last. We worked every other day for two weeks collaborating on a screenplay, building the story, outlining scenes. I'd bring him pages I'd written while not with him, he'd give notes and talk me through new scenes and dialogues he'd thought of, crafting the logic of the characters, even suggesting other actors who'd best bring them to life. Then June 30th Brando died. And the project, Brando and Brando, began to die with him. My former producers left me. Financing vanished. I became filled with great self-doubt. Yet from around the world I received messages of support asking me not to give up. My self-doubt turned into a deep determination, a sustaining perserverance. And I made a promise to do whatever I had to do to bring the project to completion. For Marlon. Now, after a 7-year long journey, and selling all of my valuables along the way, the film is finished. It's inspired by the fictional story Brando and I conceived during his final days; it's a personal story of my days with Brando, days I'll never forget, dedicated to a one-of-a-kind master of the artform I'm so honored to have known.

Q & A WITH RIDHA BEHI Q: There are some very poetic and rich thoughts in this film. What are the political implications of the film – how do you feel about the power of cinema to transform/alienate cultures and sociopolitical worlds and economies? Behi: I am wary of movies with messages. That said, I've always felt that the role of the filmmaker demands telling stories that have the potential to enlighten and educate a public that is often unaware. With ALWAYS BRANDO I wanted to guide people toward asking questions about their perceptions of the truth. I did not intend to deliver a message. I did not intend to. But I realized that within the story I had the opportunity to express my rejection of the all too commonly used means-to-an-ends of wielding power and money to exploit people's dreams. I was also rejecting the idea that permeates in the Arab world that the countries of the West, especially the United States, are devils and that we Arabs are angels and poor victims. When I was a student in Paris in the '70s, films shot outside of the studio production/distribution system were flourishing and fruitful. There was a sense of freedom and independence of expression, and it was in this atmosphere that I developed the belief that filmmakers have a duty to enlighten, awaken and engage in the battle against obscurantism, ignorance and underdevelopment; to question our realities and denounce – without hatred and demagoguery – all violence wherever it may come from. My love of beauty, justice and respect for others are certainly evident in ALWAYS BRANDO and essential in my approach to filmmaking. Q: What are your thoughts on the power of cinema, the state of cinema, globalization and culture, as reflected in this film? Behi: My film is not a cry for revolution. I've simply tried to give people a story that might enable them to understand their place in the world so that they may better resist globalization. Q: Why did you decide to do a hybrid film that is part personal documentary and part fiction film? Behi: I had already used the documentary style in some of my other narrative films like Sun Of The Hyenas and The Swallows Do Not Die In Jerusalem, but in those cases I blurred the lines between the two styles so that it was impossible to tell one from the other. But in ALWAYS BRANDO, this is the first time that I’ve constructed a clear-cut distinction between the two, the fictional narrative scenes and the factual documentary scenes, within one film. Before the death of Brando, the film was simply a work of fiction. After his death, the appeal of using a documentary portion in the film became a necessary means to integrate the author’s voice in order to express the true measure of Marlon Brando the man and the actor. Early in my career I was greatly influenced by Jean Rouch, who I was one of my teachers and considered the founder of the cinéma vérité in France that shared the aesthetics of the direct cinema. (I created more than 20-documentaries in that vein). During the edit of ALWAYS BRANDO, I discovered that the documentary and narrative

scenes strangely resembled one another. My meetings and exchanges with Brando, which I reference in the film, resemble the story of The Thousand And One Nights. And, you see, I come from a culture where storytelling is important in our lives. Look, for instance, at the Tunisian Revolution that ignited the Arab Spring. Does it not feel like the Arabian tale One Thousand And One Nights? Why do you think they call it "The Jasmine Revolution"? In the world there are forces of progress. Marlon Brando was one of them. I wanted to communicate my admiration for this great man to those who do not know him, particularly young Arabs.

FILMMAKER BIOGRAPHIES Writer/Director/Producer RIDHA BEHI Born in Kairouan, Tunisia, master filmmaker Ridha Behi has been honored for over thirty years with numerous awards and acclaim for his film and television work as a writer, director, and producer. His work has screened throughout the world, including prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Venice, and the Dubai Film Festivals. Selected Filmography includes: THE MAGIC BOX (2002) starring Marianne Basler. The story revolves around Raouf, a filmmaker who is haunted by dreams that expose his failing marriage. Seeking solace he immerses himself into his current film project, a movie that transports him back to his youth in the small town of Kairouan where he grew up in fear of his strict traditionalist father and in awe of his dashing uncle, a traveling movie projectionist whose influence led to a lifelong love of cinema. Compared by some critics to Cinema Paradiso, Ridha's beautifully shot story provided a window into the complexities of life in the Maghreb. THE MAGIC BOX was an Official Selection of The 2003 Mostra of Venice, The 2004 Dubai International Film Festival, and The 2003 Beirut International Film Festival. It won the Special Jury Prize at The 2002 Carthage Film Festival in Tunisia and the Grand Prix at The 2003 Rotterdam Arab Film Festival. THE SWALLOWS DO NOT DIE (1994), filmed in Jerusalem, starring Ben Gazzara, Jacques Perrin, Slim Dhao, and Rim Turki. The film won the International Critics Prize at The 1994 Carthage Film Festival, as well as the Bronze Olive Tree in Bastia. BITTER CHAMPAGNE (SECRET OBSESSION) (1986), stars Julie Christie, Ben Gazzara, and Patrick Bruel. It became an Official Selection at The 1986 Mostra of Venice. THE ANGELS (1883), an Official Selection of The 1985 “La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs” (Cannes). SUN OF THE HYENAS (1975), Ridha's feature film directorial debut. It was an Official Selection of The 1977 La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes and continued receiving awards, including the Grand Prix at The Damascus Film Festival, the Grand Prix at The Prades Film Festival, and the Grand Prix at The 1st International Festival of French Speaking Countries (Nice).

Ridha’s other work includes directing a 15-episode television series for Tunisian TV in 2010, and nine documentaries filmed in the Gulf States between 1980 - 1982, including THE DHOWS AND THE PEARL DIVERS. Ridha has served as member of numerous film festival juries, including The 1980 Arab Television Festival in Kuwait, The 1987 Valencia Mediterranean Festival, and The 2004 Cairo International Festival. He served as Jury President at The 2006 Dubai International Festival, The 2007 Cinema and Costume Festival in Tunis, and The 2008 Carthage Film Festival in Tunis.

Producer ZIAD H. HAMZEH Ziad’s work has earned over forty awards and accolades for directing, producing, and writing. He is the producer of Ridha Behi's ALWAYS BRANDO, which is having its world premiere at The 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Ziad is currently preparing to direct his feature film epic ASMAHAN, the true story of Asmahan Al-Atrash, an emerald-eyed beauty, a diva, a revolutionary and seductress, a singer-star of the first magnitude in early 20th century Egypt who defied the repression of her male dominated culture. A spy for the Allies during World War II, her mangled body was found in the Nile, her life cut short at the age of twenty-six. To this day some say accident, some say murder, and all say a legend was born. Ziad’s other work includes the AFI premiere of The Letter: An American Town And The “Somali Invasion”, his critically acclaimed and multi-award winning feature-length documentary about the influx of black Muslim immigrants into a small New England town in post-9/11 America. His award-winning feature film Shadow Glories won numerous awards and was called “powerful and distinctive, a mature, accomplished work, strong, stylish and uncompromising” by Kevin Thomas, film critic for the Los Angeles Times. In Los Angeles Ziad created two extraordinary theatres: The Open Fist Theatre and The Egyptian Arena. As artistic director of these award-winning venues, Ziad brought to the LA theatre community many prestigious international names such as Arrabel, Artue, Beckett, Brecht, Churchill, Gretzky, and Lorca. He directed and produced over sixty major award winning stage productions, among them Roxy Ventola’s After The Bomb, Brecht’s Baal, Sam Shephard’s True West, Arrabel’s Car Cemetery, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Fassbinder’s The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant, Tennessee Williams’ Vieux Carre, Nicholas Kazan’s Blood Moon, Poor Murderer, The Architect and Empress of Assyria, Cinders, Low Level Panic, and Dusa, Fish, Stas, and Vi. Ziad has mentored and empowered numerous artists, among them: Burr Steers (Charlie St. Cloud, 17 Again, Igby Goes Down) Tony Spiridakis (The Last Word, Queens Logic) Dalene Young (Cross Creek, Pale Rider Pale Horse, Little Darlings) Juan Carlos Valdivia (Southern District, Juno and The Pink Whale, American Visa). They found a haven for their creative powers when joining Ziad at The Open Fist Theatre. Ziad earned an MFA in Directing from California State University, Fullerton; an MA in Writing and Criticism from California State University, Los Angeles; and a BA in Theatre from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Director of Photography MARTIAL BARRAULT Martial is a DP with an expansive resume in art and music filmmaking, including work on Art:21 and Derrida’s Elsewhere. He began his career as a photographer and was an assistant to New Zealand director of photography Allen Guilford before moving to documentary fiction, feature films, and television. His credits include Art In The Twenty-First Century, The Rise Of Man, Agathe Et Les Comediens, L'Odyssee De L'Espece, L'amour Interdit, Commissariat Bastille, Sauvetage, Boulevard Du Palais, and Pacific Palisades. Editor KAHENA ATTIA Kahena has been working as a film editor for over 30-years. Her credits include Gaza-strophe Palestine, Gaza Strip, 88 Le Camp de Thiaroye, Algeria: Unspoken Stories, Passion, Quand Les Hommes Pleurent, Faat Kine, My Heart Is My Witness, and Honey and Ashes. She worked as script supervisor on The Wedding Song and is the screenwriter of En Face.

Art Director TOUFIK BEHI Toufik has worked as art director on 10 Courts, 10 Regards, production designer on The Sun Assassinated, The Magic Box, and La Fille De Keltoum, and set designer on Le Chant De La Noria.

Associate Producer FAWZY DJEMAL Fawzi was awarded a visiual arts degree from the National School of Fine Arts in Tunis. After working as an illustrator at FP7Mc Cann and MMC DDB, he wrote and published his first comic strip, Konlatash Cedetash. Following this sucess, he created his own company, The Box Graphics, and in 2007 created the production company The Box Studios producing films, documentaries and commercials.

Unit Production Manager ABDELAZIZ BEN MLOUKA Abdelaziz worked as production supervisor on Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (Tunisia) and Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones (Tunisia). He was executive producer of Flanders, producer of Clay Dolls, co-producer of Un Si Beau Voyage, and associate producer of Les Palmiers Blesses.

PRINCIPAL CAST

ANIS RAACHE Anis spent his childhood in the heart of old Tunis. At the age of 16, director Gigi Convert spotted Anis and offered him a role in his play Frati Cappuccino. His debut performance led to numerous roles in Tunisian television, including the series' Waves and Assad, as well as roles in Italian feature films shot in Tunisia. It was in the lead role of the feature film comedy The Wave Of Zazou where he caught the attention of director Ridha Behi. Behi was struck by Anis' dynamic performance and uncanny resemblance to a young Marlon Brando. Anis was cast as the lead in Behi's Always Brando.

CHRISTIAN ERICKSON Christian is an American actor and voiceover artist currently living in Paris. His extensive film and television credits include Hitman, Black Venus, The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec, The Round Up, Heavy Rain, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, The Man In The Iron Mask, Eight Times Up, 8th Wonderland, Arthur and the Invisibles, Twice Upon A Time, The Statement, Highlander: Deadly Exposure, Dangerous Liaisons, and Fun With Dick and Jane.

SOUHIR AMARA Souhir has made several appearances in Tunisian feature films, television, and short films, particularly distinguished herself as the star of the popular soap opera Maliha. After university studies culminating in a degree in directing for film in 2008, she worked as 1st AD on the film

Penalty, 2nd AD on the soap operas Maktoub and Sami Fehri, and assistant editor of Fawaz Ramadan.

LOTFI ABDELLI Lofti is a Tunisian actor and dancer. He began his artistic career as a dancer at the Conservatoire de Tunis under the direction of Anne-Marie Sellami, then at the National Theatre Ballet under the direction of Mohamed Driss, the Tunisian National Ballet under the direction of Nawel Skandrani, and with Imed Jemâa at the Dance Theatre Company. He performed as a dancer in the show Hadhra by Fadhel Jaziri. Lofti won the award for Best Actor at the 2006 Carthage Film Festival.

SOFIÈNE CHAARI Sofiène starred in the television series Manemet Arroussia and the children's program The Sofiène Show. A film, television, and theatre actor, he was honored as an Officer of the Order of Cultural Merit presented to him by the President of the Republic of Tunisia. Sofiène died in 2011.

INFORMATION ALYA FILMS, HAMZEH MYSTIQUE FILMS & K. LAZAAR FOUNDATION Present ALWAYS BRANDO Country: Tunisia World Premiere: 2011 Toronto International Film Festival Running Time: 84 minutes Language: Arabic, French, English Shooting Location: Tunisia Format: HD – RED Camera

CONTACTS Publicity Matt Johnstone MATT JOHNSTONE PUBLICITY 1365 McDuff Street Los Angeles, CA 90026 Direct: +1 323 938-7880 mattjohnstone-pr@sbcglobal.net Worldwide Sales Brian Sweet SHORELINE ENTERTAINMENT 1875 Century Park East, Ste 600 Los Angeles CA, 90067 Direct: +1 702 646 0005 Office: +1 310 551 2060 Mobile: +1 702 612 8126 brian@slefilms.com Sam Eigen SHORELINE ENTERTAINMENT 1875 Century Park East, Ste 600 Los Angeles CA, 90067 Direct: +1 702 646 0005 Office: +1 310 551 2060 Mobile +1 702 524 3114 sam@slefilms.com

Festival Bookings Tom Davia Director, Festivals and Alternative Theatrical Booking SHORELINE ENTERTAINMENT 1875 Century Park East, Ste 600 Los Angeles CA, 90067 Direct: +1 702 646 0005 Office: +1 310 551 2060 Mobile +1 305 898 2417 tom@slefilms.com SHORELINE at TIFF (Sept. 9 – 11): Hyatt Regency, Studio A 370 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 1J9 Tel: +1 416 343 1234 Film Trailer: http://www.shorelineentertainment.com/movies/AlwaysBrando.html Film Website: www.hamzehmystiquefilms.com/brando

PRODUCTION CREDITS ALYA FILMS HAMZEH MYSTIQUE FILMS & K. LAZAAR FOUNDATION Present A Film By Ridha BEHI ALWAYS BRANDO Featuring: Anis RAACHE Christian ERICKSON Lotfi AL ABDELLI Soufiene CHAARI Souhir AMARA Editor: Kehena ATTIA Art Director: Toufik BEHI Cinematography: Martial BARRAULT Associate Producer: Fawzy DJEMAL Producers: Ziad H. HAMZEH Ridha BEHI Written and Directed By Ridha BEHI

END CREDITS Director Ridha Behi Screenplay Ridha Behi Producer Ziad Hamzeh Producer Ridha Behi Executive Producer Abdelaziz Ben Mlouka Associate Producer Fawzi Jmal Production Manager Amina Gharbi

Production Accountant Hela Mahbouli Caterer Noir & Blanc Restaurant Unit Manager Anis Abssi Dispatcher Skander Hidessi Assistant Unit Manager Issam Werzni Assistant Unit Manager Béchir Ben Amor Truck Driver Omar Ouni

Mourad Jridi Drivers Salem Ben Abid

Ali Ben Abid Bechir Ben Amor

Van Driver Adnen Bebchia Script Doctor Jacques Akchoti

Tarek Ben Chaaben Treatment Said Allani

A. Bennour 1st Assistant Director Josette Barnetche 2nd Asst Director PRE Zeineb Laroussi 2nd Assistant Director Yasmine Dhoukar Continuity Radhia Bouchiba Director of Photography Martial Barrault Camera Operator Ikbal Arafa 2nd Assistant Camera Siwar Hassine Camera Trainees Omar Bouhoula

Issam Saidi Adonis Nadhem Romdhan Iness Tlili

Clapper/Loader Med Chedli Yazidi Card Loader Fakhreddine Amri Sound Engineer Hechmi Joulak Boom Operator Aymen Toumi Cable Puller Ahmed Khlifi Gaffer Taoufik Ben Ammar Electrician Lamjed Laabidi Best Boy Chouaieb Ben Ammar Key Grip Mahmoud Ben Brahim First Assistant Grip Issam Ouerzli Best Boy Med Chedli Yazidi Generator Operator Sami Laghnes Art Director Taoufik Behi Assistant Decorator Meriem Zerzri Assistant Decorator Amel Rezgui Art Intern Meriem Ghalia Karrou Property Master Sophie Abdelkefi Key Painter Hsan El Euchi Set Building Supervisor Chokri Arfaoui Key Wardrobe Anissa Bediri Assistant Wardrobe Nourchène Hfaiedh Tailor Najet Ferchichi Key Makeup/Hair Artist Moustapha Ben Ataya Assistant Makeup/Hair Abderrahmane Laabidi

Editor Kehna Attia First Assistant Editor Adnen Zribi Trailer Editor Makrem Belaid Trailer Editor Noura Nefzi Re-recording Mixer Samy Gharbi Assistant Mixer Yazid Chabi Dolby Sound Consultant Françis Perreard Mixed at LTC Labs 2nd Crew: Production Manager Med Atef Foudhayli Director of Photography Ali Ben Abdallah 1st Assistant Camera Anis Karkeni Gaffer Habib Louati Electrician Med Ben Ameur Key Grip Slimen El Ratt First Assistant Grip Mounir Mhadhbi Sound Engineer Hechmi Joulak Boom Operator Ahmed Khelif Assistant Decorator Amel Rezgui Driver Salem Ben Abid

Ali Ben Abid Digital Colorist August Color Editorial Equipment ULYSON

A-A Production Main Title Design and Concept Tarek El Ouaer Archival Footage and Stills Provided by SATPEC, Paramount Pictures, Sony, MGM,

Warner Brothers, and Scott Billups Additional Music Nicola Piovani - Solei des Hyènes

Jean-Claude Petit – Les Hirondelles Ne Meurent Pas à Jérusalem Lotfi Bouchnek – Boite Magique

Avec la participation du: - Ministère de la Culture et de la Sauvegarde du Patrimoine - Fondation Kamel Lazaar - La TV Tunisienne Our Very Deepest Thanks To: Izeddine Bach Chaouef Kamel Lazaar Faouzia Zouari Samia Maktouf Adly Bellagha Bochra Bel Hadj H’mida Maher Sehli Kéhna Attia Riveill Arnaud Hamelin

Jean-François Delassus Ronaldo Phil George Chamchoum Mohamed Ridha Jacques Pomonti Marc Sandler Thanks To: Caroline Mitchell Sunset Presse Fatma Brahmi Salwa Ben Sebaa Ulyson Caroline Michel Lina Ben Chaaben Dorra Bouchoucha Jillian Laribi Dominique Dart