An inside look at Star Academy Maghreb

11/05/2007

In a behind-the-scenes look at last week's Star Academy Maghreb prime, Magharebia met the show's production team to get their views on the programme's challenges and accomplishments so far.

Text and Photos by Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tunis – 11/05/2007

The Star Academy Maghreb professors prepare to watch their students perform in the prime.

Upon reaching the historic village of Utique, located north of Tunis, darkness had begun to settle over the region, but the manifold colours emanating from the studios that broadcast Star Academy Maghreb revealed there may yet be life in this calm village. Reaching the studios was not an easy matter, even as an accredited member of the press. Visits to the site require an invitation and passage through a security gauntlet made up of Star Academy staff, police and guards, all in official uniform.

Inside the studio compound, we found a courtyard transformed into festival grounds, where a number of young men and women in light summer attire mingled with hosts. Photographers were stealing some puffs off cigarettes, as smoking is usually prohibited inside the studio.

We learned that the youths were among the students brought to support the second round of the "prime" in the elimination stages. Stage manager Mohamed Ali Triki greeted us and pointed to the paint still visible on his hands. "This arena was like a beehive," he said. "Work hasn’t stopped since yesterday, in preparation for welcoming the contestants and guests. We had to ensure that all the lighted signs and the traffic signs were okay and that there was plenty of water for everyone in attendance, since the performance will be long."

In another corner, we found Ilhem Louhidi, one of Star Academy Maghreb’s music instructors. She was engaged in conversation with one of her assistants, and appeared somewhat anxious. I surprised her with a question about the psychological effects of the decision to bring back Yosra and Dounia, two contestants who had been eliminated in the early weeks of the program. With a wry smile she replied, "This story isn’t over yet? We had to reverse our decision lest we commit an unpardonable, unjust act against the two young women." She added, "It was not fair for Yosra and Dounia to be eliminated without entering the prime. This was wrong, and it’s better for us to be depicted in any way other than having committed an unjust act."

The decision by Star Academy management to bring Yosra and Dounia back to the contest after being voted off sparked much commentary, as many viewed it as a debacle that could discredit the Maghreb’s first foray into this style of televised competition.

I confronted the director of Star Academy Maghreb, Nebil Karoui, about potential charges of bias against him and his brother Ghazi. He waved away the claims, dismissing the claims as "unacceptable and skirting the truth". He asserted that he and his team all strive for a lack of bias. "I’m not Tunisian on this programme. I’m Maghrebi, and [time] will prove what I’m saying."

At 9pm, activity picked up suddenly, as one of the organisers ordered everyone to enter the studio where the prime is filmed. The students went first, dividing into two groups off the platform’s left and right sides.

Staff on the set worked hard to make the primes exciting for viewers.

The brilliant red hues dominating the show since the programme’s launch gave way to blues and muted greens that adorned the stage. The contestants ascended the platform, stopping on cue with military precision. The guests filed back in at the instruction of Assistant Director Jerome Revon, who travels to Tunisia each week from France to oversee production of the segment. An accomplished professional, Revon directed the recent televised debate between French presidential candidates Segolene Royal and Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as the closing ceremonies of the 1998 World Cup Finals in Paris.

A silence settled over the hall as the host, Morocco’s Nabila Kilani, entered to announce the start of the second prime. Nebil Karoui then took the stage to express his deep sadness for the fatal incident that occurred last week in Sfax at a Star Academy concert, leaving seven dead. After his somber message, Karoui yielded the stage to Algerian artist Larebi Dida.

Dida performed a song entitled "They should put me behind an iron door", after which the contestants advanced towards the judging committee—Kaoutar in her deep-red gown, Khairi decked out in white, and Dounia garbed in a blue gown. Kaoutar confessed to fans she was overcome by anxiety in the days before the prime. Khairi said he failed to hide his anxiety, adding, "I don’t want to leave this sweet audience." Dounia pledged, "With this outstanding audience, I’ll offer all the energy I have." Immediately thereafter, the rest of the group entered to present the song "My long night", by the Moroccan band the Meghri Brothers.

During breaks in filming, the audience was treated to videos of life in the house where the contestants are staying. The footage revealed an awkward conversation between Ahmed, a Libyan with very limited French, and Morocco’s Kaoutar, who speaks French almost exclusively, where they attempted to discuss the age difference between Kaoutar’s parents.

After the candid video ended, the performances began again, featuring songs by Tunisian artist Lotfi Bouchnak. Ahmed sang one of Bouchnak's songs, earning him a victory in the Top 5 competition. When host Nabila asked him his secret he remarked, to the laughter of the audience and the judging committee, "When I enter, I either enter with force or I don't enter at all."

One spectator enjoyed the format of the prime, saying it "differed from the previous performances [in] the variety of musical selections and the invited artists, who infused a vitality that the previous shows lacked". Her comment came during a performance by Moroccan rap group H-Kayne, whose high-energy act elicited interaction from the audience. Even the judges could not keep themselves from dancing as they watched the group, whose upbeat songs deal with issues of youth and society in Morocco.

At midnight the crowd's anticipation grew even further, as Khairi, Dounia and Kaoutar faced elimination. Nabila announced that the audience had chosen the youngest contestant, Khairi, as the first winner. With tension running high, it was revealed that Kaoutar would be dismissed despite a very promising beginning.

Nebil Karoui turned to tell me, "What we’re striving for over the long term has now begun to be realised. The contestants dropped the logic of geography and borders, and they applied a language blending the logic of reason with the logic of the heart."

Khadija Lemkacher, Director of Star Academy Maghreb still has contact with some of the eliminated contestants.

Khadija Lemkacher, Star Academy Maghreb’s Director, did not hide her emotions over Kaoutar’s departure. "I don’t favour one contestant over another, but I feel as though I lost a friend when the results of the prime were announced." Lemkacher said she is still in contact with Faten, the first person to be eliminated.

The night ended with tears and smiles, making room for the next performance. Miriam Bazazi, media spokesperson for Star Academy Maghreb’s parent company, Karoui & Karoui Group, said she had "no time now for feelings. I must return to my office to send the results of the competition to journalists and prepare myself for the many questions I’ll be asked tomorrow."