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Under the Fig Trees

Play trailer 1:33 Poster for Under the Fig Trees 2023 1h 33m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 26 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
On a hot summer day, a crew of workers -- men and women, young and old -- arrive at dawn at a picturesque fig orchard in northwest Tunisia. We eavesdrop, through the sun-dappled leaves of the fig trees, on the young women stealing away precious moments from the foreman's watchful gaze. Meanwhile, the older women, tasked with the careful job of packing the tender fruit, watch and reminisce together as well. They joke, argue, debate, gossip, flirt, all the while painting an unhurried but riveting portrait of everyday life in the rural society, where class, gender, and circumstance often don't allow for such personal freedoms. Set over the course of a single day, and with a cast made up of an intergenerational ensemble of non-professional actors, UNDER THE FIG TREES is "an elegant, understated tapestry of complex interactions [and] a pleasurable and immersive experience" (The Hollywood Reporter) that ultimately reveals the ways in which sisterhood itself becomes an act of resistance.
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Under the Fig Trees

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Critics Consensus

Distinguished by a naturalistic approach that's enriched by strong work from an ensemble heavy with first-time actors, Under the Fig Trees explores a world of ideas in the span of a single day.

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Critics Reviews

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Roxana Hadadi New York Magazine/Vulture 02/07/2024
Under the Fig Trees is a big-minded film that grounds its ideas about labor, sexism, faith, and modernity in the zippy rhythms of its characters’ negotiations around friendship, romance, and work. Go to Full Review Peter Rainer FilmWeek (LAist) 02/01/2024
A marvelous little movie. Go to Full Review Carlos Aguilar RogerEbert.com 01/26/2024
3.5/4
The consistency of the performances by the cast of first timers, all operating with unshowy nuance even in dialogue-heavy roles, is utterly astounding. Go to Full Review William Stottor Loud and Clear Reviews 09/03/2024
4/5
Love and human connections blossom within nature’s watch in Under the Fig Trees, Erige Sehiri’s tender and immaculately composed orchard chamber piece. Go to Full Review Andrew Wyatt The Take-Up 02/13/2024
A quietly exquisite day-in-the-life ensemble drama about fig-pickers in rural Tunisia, kissed with a touch of Shakespearean pastoral. Go to Full Review Marya E. Gates Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack) 02/13/2024
A patient film, and one with some of the most gorgeous cinematography I’ve seen in a very long time. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jopaul J @RT50615198 01/24/2024 A full workday in a Tunisian orchard captured beautifully. Great acting from the female actors. Gentle and soothing. See more Read all reviews
Under the Fig Trees

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Cast & Crew

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Erige Sehiri

Director

Fide Fdhili

Fidé

Feten Fdhili

Melek

Ameni Fdhili

Sana

Samar Sifi

Mariem

Leila Ouhebi

Actor
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Under the Fig Trees

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Movie Info

Synopsis On a hot summer day, a crew of workers -- men and women, young and old -- arrive at dawn at a picturesque fig orchard in northwest Tunisia. We eavesdrop, through the sun-dappled leaves of the fig trees, on the young women stealing away precious moments from the foreman's watchful gaze. Meanwhile, the older women, tasked with the careful job of packing the tender fruit, watch and reminisce together as well. They joke, argue, debate, gossip, flirt, all the while painting an unhurried but riveting portrait of everyday life in the rural society, where class, gender, and circumstance often don't allow for such personal freedoms. Set over the course of a single day, and with a cast made up of an intergenerational ensemble of non-professional actors, UNDER THE FIG TREES is "an elegant, understated tapestry of complex interactions [and] a pleasurable and immersive experience" (The Hollywood Reporter) that ultimately reveals the ways in which sisterhood itself becomes an act of resistance.
Director
Erige Sehiri
Producer
Palmyre Badinier, Didar Domehri, Erige Sehiri, Nicolas Wadimoff, Philippe Coeytaux, Roshanak Behesht Nedjad
Screenwriter
Peggy Hamann, Ghalya Lacroix, Erige Sehiri
Distributor
Film Movement
Production Co
Henia Production, Akka Films, In Good Company, Maneki Films
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Arabic
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 20, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 26, 2024
Runtime
1h 33m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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