REVIEW: In ‘Under the Fig Trees,’ life is captured in one day
Photo: Under the Fig Trees stars nonprofessional actors bringing to life a day working in a fig orchard. Photo courtesy of Film Movement / Provided by Foundry Communications with permission.
The beautifully moving and tenderly acted film Under the Fig Trees, directed by Erige Sehiri, follows a group of workers who toil away beneath the Tunisian sun in a fig orchard, as the foreman looks on and ensures no one steals any extra fruit. On its surface, the film is a simplistic, poetic look at one day of hard labor, but as one gets to know these characters, little dramas begin to form. It turns out there’s a lot more happening under the fig trees than first meets the eye.
Sehiri, known for her documentaries, has gathered a talented group of nonprofessional actors to bring this day to life. The workers are intergenerational, representing young men and women who talk of romance and their life ahead of them, alongside older laborers who have been in these orchards for years. They toil away amongst the colorful branches, and Sehiri is able to capture their long hours with evocative natural light and many unique angles as the leaves of the fig trees frame various shots.
The dialogue — penned by Sehiri, Ghalya Lacroix and Peggy Hamann — feels authentic and conversational, almost improvisational in manner. The workers, especially the younger ones, talk about their life, social media and various crushes they might have. Sometimes a heated argument ensues, eventually put down by one of the older colleagues.
The boss character, a man who always seems to be in the periphery, struggles with the finances of picking these fruit from the orchard, and he refuses to pay money to anyone who takes an extra fig for consumption. He also has a relationship with a young female worker that turns south quickly and shows the unfortunate power he holds over this group of people. Exploitation seems rife, and what he says goes. If anyone pushes back, or doesn’t fit into his view of the working world, they are not asked back the next day.
One can examine Under the Fig Trees as an allegory for modern life in Tunisia, or perhaps it’s a rumination on the difficulties of a rural existence, or perhaps it’s an examination of love and labor. Although there is much joy found in the conversations in the orchard, there’s also some sadness and evidence lack of workers’ rights. There’s shared history among the gathered ensemble, which comes with an important support system, and there’s also a yearning for something more, something yet unattained.
Under the Fig Trees, which has played numerous film festivals and will be released on digital and VOD Jan. 26, is a stirring portrait of lives lived beneath the beauty of a shadowy tree, the warmth of a midday sun, and the support (and scrutiny) of others in the orchard.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Under the Fig Trees (2021). Directed by Erige Sehiri. Written by Sehiri, Ghalya Lacroix and Peggy Hamann. Running time: 93 minutes. In Arabic with English subtitles. The film will be released on digital and VOD Jan. 26 by Film Movement. Rating: 
