
UNDER THE FIG TREES
Other movies

BIN U BIN, ELSEWHERE THE BORDER
Director: Mohamed Lakhdar Tati
In the rocky desert Algerian border country, Fethi and his fellow villagers eke out a living smuggling goods – mostly petrol – into Tunisia, working at night and paying off the local crime lords. Saad, a film-maker trying to raise money to finish his movie, has worked for a year with Fethi. He lives in his family’s shed, included as part of a loving household as well as their risky business. At the same time he is obviously an outsider: smartly dressed and prepared to talk back to anyone, including the imam. Tough, gritty but also moodily atmospheric, its tension sustained by a tumultuous soundscape, theis remarkable film delves deeply into the complexities of family, friendship and daily survival.

In-Conversation with Brendan Fraser
Director: Brendan Fraser
With a career spanning more than 30 years, Fraser has received recognition for his work by both critics and his peers. Known for playing Rick O’Connell in The Mummy trilogy, Fraser has gone on to star in many projects in both television and film. Fraser received an Academy Award for his acclaimed performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale.

40 ACRES
Director: R.t. Thorne
Danielle Deadwyler shines as the invincible gun-toting matriarch Hailey, a Black military veteran determined to protect and preserve her family and their land in the wake of a man-made apocalypse. A few years before, all animals on Earth were killed by a viral epidemic. Since then, there has a been a breakdown in global food supplies: only those cultivating the land can hope to survive, provided they can ward off roving militias looting the remaining farms. Hailey communicates only with other farmers via CB radio; her four children are walled in with their parents, taught to trust nobody, but when lonely young Emmanuel meets Dawn, a wounded young woman in the woods, Hailey’s regime threatens to break down from within.

SIMA’S SONG
Director: Roya Sadat
Afghanistan in 1972 is a cauldron of opposing political forces. Suraya, part of an influential political family, becomes head of the dominant Communist Party’s women’s organisation, believing it is the best hope for equal rights. Her friend Sima is sceptical of all politics and, as a talented musician, is dedicated to her traditional art and its romantic themes. Despite their differences, these two young women remain best friends through university, even when Sima marries and starts attending Muslim Youth meetings. When the army starts arresting Muslim activists, Suraya helps her friends escape to the mountains and the protection of the mujahadeen, but war follows them. The film is a marvellous testament to the courage and loyalty of Afghani women in the face of constant adversity.