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Bezness as Usual

Name: Bezness as Usual
Director: Alex Pitstra
Released: 2016
Duration: 93 min

Representation Score

6.4/10

Good

2016

Director

Alex Pitstra

Runtime

93 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Alex Pitstra utilizes his dual European and Tunisian heritage to conduct a rigorous, identity-driven inquiry into post-colonial dynamics. The film successfully disrupts the traditional tourist gaze by replacing it with a personal, investigative approach to cultural exchange. The documentary's primary strength is its focus on race and heritage. By examining the 'bezness' phenomenon through a lens of mixed identity, it provides a complex view of North African social structures that avoids simple stereotypes. However, the film's scope remains narrow regarding certain demographics. The focus on specific romantic and social dynamics results in a lack of visible LGBTQ+ representation and no discernible focus on disability.

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Category Breakdown

Does Bezness as Usual have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film centers on heterosexual relationships between North African men and Western women. There is no visible representation of individuals who do not identify with their assigned gender at birth.

How does Bezness as Usual portray gender?

Good

The narrative challenges traditional gender roles by highlighting the role of female filmmakers. It shifts the focus to the female experience to critique male-dominated social issues.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Bezness as Usual?

Excellent

The film excels by focusing on the Tunisian diaspora and mixed-heritage identities. It moves beyond Anglo-centric views to explore racialized social interactions with significant depth.

How does Bezness as Usual represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The work offers a sophisticated critique of Western-Eastern social intersections. It avoids moralizing clichés, favoring a nuanced investigation into North African masculinity and systemic social behaviors.

Does Bezness as Usual include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no discernible evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in this documentary.

Present on Screen

Provides deep exploration of mixed identity and the Tunisian diaspora.
Challenges Western-centric perspectives through a nuanced, investigative lens.
Deconstructs traditional gender power dynamics by centering women's ability to drive the story.

Limited or Absent

Lacks visible representation of LGBTQ+ characters or narratives.
Provides no discernible focus on physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Like his Swiss half-sister Jasmin, Dutch filmmaker Alex Pitstra is the child of a European mother and a Tunisian playboy father. The majority of their lives their father was absent, but after more than twenty years Alex invites Jasmin to travel to Tunisia with him. They want to reconnect with their Tunisian roots and find out how their father and his family relate to the 'bezness' phenomenon of North-African men roaming beaches and hotels, trying to seduce western women.

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