Under the Fig Trees

This film plunges you into the rural northwest of Tunisia, alongside Fidé, Sana, Melek, Meriem, and Leila. They have gathered in a large orchard for the summer fig harvest. Their work requires precision: ripe fruits must be picked without handling them too much. Using sticks, they grab the branches or climb the trees, then gently place their precious harvest into buckets. All this for a handful of dinars. In the shade of the fig trees, they talk about love, reminisce about memories, and wonder about mektoub — destiny. Some flirt with men, others argue, others still talk about the situation on the coast. By filming the pickers up close, Erige Sehiri captures their perception of the moment and at the same time evokes, almost in passing, their whole lives — in an open-air "huis clos" that bubbles with sensuality and realism. The non-professional actresses play with astonishing naturalness. Each character represents a facet of a Tunisian society in full mutation, where values and traditions clash and where patriarchy weighs heavily.