In the turbulent aftermath of the Tunisian revolution, young Samia flees her homeland. She braves hostile seas in the crossing to France, but once there she finds that her struggles have only just begun. With no friends, no family, and — most crucially — no immigration papers, Samia has to figure out how to make a life and a living in a foreign land. She meets a young man, Imed, and soon finds work in the employ of the elegant Leila. But her presence in Leila's middle-class household triggers a shift in its dynamics, and soon Samia is enmeshed in a web of sexual tension.
Acting
Sarra Hannachi's watchful silence speaks entire monologues.
Direction
Raja Amari frames desire like a threat you can't unsee.
Director
Raja Amari
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot during Tunisia's fragile democratic transition, the film mirrors its protagonist's liminal status—neither here nor there, legally or emotionally.
Amari deliberately cast non-professionals for migrant roles and bourgeois actors for the household, creating authentic class friction that bleeds into the performances.
TN
