BORDERLINES FILM FESTIVAL 2025

DIRECTOR: Lotfi Achour
STARRING: Ali Helali, Yassine Samouni, Wided Dabebi, Jemii Lamari,
TUNISIA/FRANCE/BELGIUM/POLAND/SAUDI ARABIA/QATAR, 2024, 1 HOUR 37 MINUTES, ARABIC + ENGLISH SUBTITLES

Set in the isolation of the vast Tunisian mountains, this dreamlike journey probes the wounded psyche of a young shepherd.

When a group of jihadists set upon two young shepherds, killing one of them, Achraf, 13, is forced to bring the head of his cousin Nizar to the family as a macabre message. Based
on a real murder during the 2015 Tunisian unrest, the story foregrounds Achraf’s point of view, from his playful interaction with his cousin, through the gut-churning terror of the attack, to his mounting inner anxiety as he faces his family’s grief and dilemma.

With stunning cinematography, the film delves deep into the psychological impact of violence on children, portraying the stark reality of rural Tunisia while contrasting it with more introspective, ethereal moments.

Preview courtesy of Sovereign Film Distribution