HARKA

Harka is an impassioned plea for social justice set in Sidi Bouzid, the Tunisian city where the self-immolation of street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi in 2010 triggered the Jasmine Revolution. The thriller contains a powerhouse performance from French-Tunisian actor Adam Bessa as Ali, an impoverished street-seller whose predicament is inspired by Bouazizi's story. Ali sells black market gasoline, risking his life every time he heads into the desert to buy supplies, but he's obliged to turn over most of his earnings in extortion payments to the police. Burdened by debts since his father's death and now responsible for his two younger sisters, he has to beg his brother – who has escaped the family to work as a waiter at a tourist hotel – for support. Director Lotfy Nathan's fictional debut was a stand-out in this year's Cannes Film Festival's Certain Regard section, where Bessa won the award for best performance. This film is supported by the Red Sea Fund.