Dhil al ardh

From an unlikely country comes an unexpected gem: the provocative story of a nomadic Tunisian family living according to ancient customs but soon feeling the invisible, unavoidable influence of events beyond the distant horizon. The film captures with precise and often subtle imagery the isolation and stark beauty of the northern Sahara Desert, as well as the bountiful simplicity of a life governed solely by the laws of nature and the benevolence of Allah. But when a blight among the sheep forces the eldest son to the big city, he returns home an unwitting harbinger of civilization, with a jeepload of soldiers close behind, looking for recruits (voluntary or otherwise) to fight a distant, unspecified war. The modest style of the film shows an eloquence far beyond its meager (by Hollywood standards) budget, offering a heartbreaking look at yet another ageless culture lost to the mundane (but no less deadly) intrusion of progress.

This film reminds me of Iranian cinema. Not only does it have a slow pace and a simple storyline (as do many Iranian films), but also, much of the communication between characters occurs as much through looks and gestures as via spoken words. In this way the director - perhaps unwittingly - conveys the unsurmountable silence and emptiness of the monontonous, semi-arid hámada landscape.

As the end credits roll the shot is frozen on the coffin dangling from the crane. The music finishes and the rest of the credits roll in silence. This has a moving effect, as we are reminded of the inevitability of silence.

The film has a striking simplicity which is missing from Leyla ma Raison - a more recent piece of Tunisian cinema full of slow-moving desert panoramas, also with scant dialogue. Shadow of the Earth seems gritty and realistic, whilst Leyla ma Raison is over-romantic and self-indulged. The latter belongs to the era of Arabian Nights and Prince-of-Persia style fantasy.

To viewers who enjoyed this film I would recommend The Citadel (Algeria), Reed Dolls (Morocco) and La Plage Des Enfants Perdus (Morocco).