PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Lotfy Nathan, director of the film Harka.
Hakra talks about “those who remain”, writes Lotfy Nathan in the director’s notes of his film Harka, presented at the 75th Festival de Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section. The film depicts the people, in particular Ali, a young Tunisian, who remained in his country right after the Arab Spring hoping for a change. The film was supposed to be, at first, a biopic on Mohamed Bouazizi and his act of self-immolation which became the catalyst for the Arab Spring in 2010.
Harka: Ali is a young Tunisian who dreams of a better life and ekes out a lonely existence selling contraband oil on the black market. When his father dies, he is forced to care for his two younger sisters who have been left to their own devices in a house from which they will soon be evicted. As he wrestles with the sudden weight of responsibility and the injustices he faces, anger and indignation stir within Ali – that of a generation still fighting to be heard more than a decade after the revolution…
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Listen Global Critics Cannes Voice! Exclusive and thoughtful conversations with leading international film critics, and in-depth analysis of the most anticipated films of the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
Discover Ting, a dark fantasy period drama set in 1918 Italy, blending compelling coming-of-age storytelling with striking historical and fantastical elements. This interview was recorded in collaboration with Cinema&Video International at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.