Red Path

Tunisia, 2015: two young shepherds, 13-year-old Achraf and his cousin Nizar, are walking with their goats on the rocky slope of Mount Mghila in Tunisia. It is a beautiful, idyllic area, but also very dangerous because it borders the area controlled by jihadists. Just how dangerous becomes clear when the two are attacked by jihadists; Nizar is beheaded without mercy, while Achraf, stunned and deeply shocked, is sent home with his cousin's head in a sports bag. It is a warning to everyone never to go there again.

What is it like to live in an area ravaged by conflict and violence? How do you overcome the violent death of a loved one? These are the questions that Tunisian director Lotfi Achour attempts to answer in this film based on true events. He does so by taking the viewer on a dreamlike journey through the traumatized psyche of a child who has a remarkable ability to overcome trauma.