Women, whether or not they’re in Tunisia, are a spectrum. The girls and women picking figs for work at an orchard have their own personalities. If Fide (Fide Fdhili) came from the West, she would call herself, like others may call her, ‘over it’. Melek (Feten Fdhili) approaches her reunion with her ex Abdou (Abdelhak Mrabti) like a ‘middle aged’ – read: 20s – Shakespearean character even though they’re both 17. Sana (Ameni Fdhili) will do anything for her bearded small town hunk Firas (Firas Amri), keeping watch when he steals and fighting Fide or any girl she thinks is flirting with Firas. Oh, about the stealing thing, their boss thinks that someone is stealing his figs and wants to find out who while keeping the orchard alive.
Young girls and women’s portrayal in any media is tricky, and there are even tendencies where Sous les figues or Under the Fig Trees might backslide into typical depictions of that demographic. The fight between Fide and Sana is one of the few memorable moments here but they also feel few and far between, since most of the dialogue are just banal conversations. As I write this though, investing in the film is illuminating just for its visuals. Cinematographer Frida Marzouk and director Erige Sehiri choose to tone down the film’s colours, giving it a modern look that complements the fresh spin they both give to the characters. It’s as if to signal that these girls and women are fighting back their own way.
- Release Date: 9/14/2022
