Hammamet Festival Unveils Its History Through Exceptional Exhibition

Hammamet is celebrating the 60th edition of its International Festival (FIH) with a special documentary and digital exhibition named "A Living Memory." This exhibition marks the 62nd anniversary of the festival's inception and coincides with the 60th anniversary of Tunisian television.

The exhibition opened Friday evening at the International Cultural Center of Hammamet (Dar Sebastian) and will run until August 2. Its inauguration occurred on July 31, precisely 62 years after Tunisia's first president, Habib Bourguiba, officially opened the city's open-air theater in 1964. The FIH itself runs from July 11 to August 13.

Under the slogan "Endless Memories," this year's festival showcases 32 performances from 12 countries, including Tunisia, Lebanon, Palestine, the United States, Mali, Spain, Portugal, Cuba, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, and Italy. The exhibition delves into the festival's history, presenting ten digital displays that chart the architectural and artistic development of the Dar Sebastian site. It includes a retrospective of official posters from all sixty editions and a dedicated section for the public featuring visual archival documents.

The exhibition also highlights the construction history of the theater and pays tribute to its past directors. A special segment honors the Tunisian Television channel, Al Watania, which is also celebrating its 60th anniversary, by showcasing previously unseen audiovisual archives. This event echoes a similar initiative from 2024, where the festival featured an ephemeral installation in Dar Sebastian's gardens.