Sexuality In A Puritanical Arab Society -- Coming-Of-Age Story Gets Past Stereotypes

------------ MOVIE REVIEW ------------

XXX "Halfaouine, Boy of the Terraces," with Selim Boughedir, Mustapha Adouani, Rabia Ben Abdallah. Directed and written by Ferid Boughedir. Varsity, today through Monday only. No rating; includes nudity.

A unique coming-of-age tale, this colorful Tunisian movie attempts to steer past Arab stereotypes and fundamentalist taboos by dramatizing a teenager's awakening sexuality in a paradise-like setting.

"I have attempted to abandon all preconceptions," claims the writer-director, Ferid Boughedir, "and speak about a tender and luxuriant mediterranean society where humor and eroticism still have their place, along with tolerance, a difficult word to brandish these days."

Halfaouine is a neighborhood in the old part of Tunis, where many of the houses were designed and built to prevent casual gawking at women. Yet much of the movie takes place in a large Turkish bath where women of all shapes, sizes and ages shed their clothes and inhibitions.

Young boys also go there with their mothers. Outgrowing his status as an innocent, impartial observer, the baby-faced 13-year-old son of one of them "plays dumb" and takes advantage of his tiny stature to continue his stay there. He also reports on what he sees to a couple of his buddies.

Selim Boughedir, the director's real-life nephew, plays Noura, whose eyes grow wide as he surveys the parade of bare-breasted, frequently huge women, who resemble the fleshy females of the childhood flashbacks and harem scenes in Fellini's movies.

In this puritanical yet almost openly hypocritical society, the place becomes an Eden of casual eroticism, and Noura knows he can't avoid being exiled to the men's baths with his father. It's only a matter of time.

While waiting for the inevitable, Noura confides in a paternal shoemaker and would-be playwright, whose open approach to sexual matters contrasts sharply with Noura's tyrannical Muslim father, who hides a stash of skin magazines in his shop.

Eventually Noura is evicted from the women's baths, but he's soon off to other adventures, including the courtship of a beautiful, orphaned 15-year-old maid.

The director based much of the story on his own experiences, but "Halfaouine" never feels like an act of revenge. It's much too gentle and funny.

Georges Barsky's cinematography and Anouar Braham's music create an enchanted playland that isn't all that much different even when things begin to go bad for Noura.

Like "Martha and I," which played the Varsity a few weeks ago, "Halfaouine" is a 1990 film that was shown at the Seattle International Film Festival and is only now going into limited art-house release.

Many worthy films disappear after local festival sightings, but a few bob back up after so long an absence. These are the lucky ones.