Harka
Screened in the Un Certain Regard section of last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Lotfy Nathan’s debut feature takes its inspiration from one of the catalyst events of the Arab Spring, the self-immolation of street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi in response to the harassment and beatings he endured at the hands of the corrupt local police force who beat him when he could no longer afford to bribe them. Ali (Adam Bessa) sells black-market petrol on street corners. His dream of leaving Tunisia for a better life evaporates when his father died, leaving him responsible for his younger sisters, and for his father’s debts that have placed their home in danger. Ali’s attempts to better his situation are thwarted at every turn, most frequently by the callousness of those of higher social status, in a film that is a sad, furious howl of despair.
Cast
Director
Language
Arabic
Countries
USA, France, Germany, Tunisia
