"Under the Fig Trees," a poignant film directed by Erige Sehiri, catalogs a day in the life of laborers in a Tunisian fig orchard. Throughout the course of an arduous day of manual work, the intertwined relationships across the team emerge, painting a lush image of love, labor, and community.
Workers of various ages and abilities earn their modest wages through meticulous care of the fig trees, with their tasks directly overseen by their stern boss, Saber, played by Fedi Ben Achour. Shattering a branch or bruising the fruit is a grave offence, he closely watches the workforce ensuring their labor is diligent and precise.
Stealing brief moments of respite from the toil, an intricate tapestry of relationships unfolds beneath the bark of the fig trees. These stolen moments reveal whispering sweet nothings, past affairs, and tentative dreams for future romances. Frida Marzouk’s camera glides through the verdant scenery, capturing every subtle glance and gentle tug of an unripe fig.
Sana, portrayed by Ameni Fdhili, desires for her love interest Firas (Firas Amri) to embody more traditional masculine roles in their potential union. Meanwhile, Fide Fdhili's character Fidé, a steadfast part of the youthful working force, pushes back against rumors seeking to paint her as a risqué pariah. Despite any internal feuds, Fidé is quick to sideline disputes when their collective safety is at stake.
Sehiri's film, though set in a rather modest location, elegantly explores these characters’ hopes, fears, and aspirations extending far beyond the confines of their manual labor. It is not so much a film about work, but a microcosm examining gender, societal dynamics, friendship, and love nestled amidst the branches of fig trees.
The young ex-lovers Abdou (Abdelhak Mrabti) and Melek (Feten Fdhili) revisit their innocent childhood romance with the wisdom akin to lifelong partners. Their ambiguity about reigniting old sparks reveals the maturity thrust upon youth in this community.
The vivacious women of the orchard take center stage in Sehiri’s narrative. Older women, spared from the physical labor, express chagrin at young lovers flirting on the job. Leila (Leila Ouhebi), drained and grizzled, voices the repression faced by women of her era, who did not share the privilege to select their matrimonial partners.
Men are also sketched with poignant sensitivity. Saber and Firas share a heated dialogue about libertine city life, which culminates in Saber prodding Firas to adopt a more macho persona. Yet the film also magnifies unbending societal norms, evident when Fidé decries men from rural culture, leading to her heated confrontation with a local elder.
"Under the Fig Trees" may focus on an unassuming orchard, but this intimate world is fertile with nuanced explorations of traditional mores. The film elegantly captures the restrictive gender roles, familial pressures, and transactional romance ingrained in this community. Yet, amidst these rigid traditions, Sehiri’s camera captures the winds of change in exultant scenes of youthful exuberance - women spinning in joyful abandon and men joining in without judgment, heralding a potential shift in attitudes.
