Under the Fig Trees

A truck carrying a group of workers – mainly teenagers, as well as some seasoned older women – arrives at a fig orchard in rural Tunisia, and the workday begins. Some of the workers flirt, and others pick fights. Some neglect their work, while others report to the boss, and the oldest of the group teaches the teens the art of fig harvesting. Although the work is hard and repetitive, the orchard becomes a kind of sanctuary for some of the workers, an opportunity to escape the gaze of society, speak freely and share secrets with each other.

Director Erige Sehiri allows the film’s focus to flow elegantly from one character to the next, and their dreams, prospects, and predicaments. In many cases, their situations represent larger political issues, casting the group of harvesters as a microcosm of the society they belong to. But Under the Fig Trees is first and foremost a warm and compassionate ensemble drama, and watching it feels like spending a satisfying and eventful day in the sun.