Under the Fig Trees

Hailing from Mohammedia, Tunisia, the film documents twelve years in the life of Mehrez. A gifted dancer and actor, but also irresistibly addicted to gambling and horse races, he struggles on a daily basis with himself and the bewildering contradictions of his country. In his unstoppable quest for truthful emotions, Mehrez defies all rules.

Marie, Naney, and Jolie live together in Tunis, sheltering Kenza, a shipwreck survivor. As this unorthodox family forms, crises make each woman reconsider her place.

‘Tunisia. A word I have trouble articulating, when I want to tell it to my son.’ Dhia, a 29-year-old filmmaker, left Tunisia after having taken part in the Revolution. Exiled to France, he’s worried about transmitting his stuttering to Elia, his two year old son. In his pursuit to overcome this challenge, Dhia embarks on a journey of hypnosis and speech therapy sessions. Yet, as these sessions unfold, it is evident that the issue isn’t managing a fluent speech so much as figuring how to talk to Elia about Tunisia, his home country.

On a road trip, Ahmed a train conductor is torn between his loyalty to the old Tunisian railway company and his personal aspirations, while Fitati, his colleague, chooses to become a whistleblower on train accidents.