In November 2015, a staggeringly violent crime took place in the impoverished area of Mghila Mountain in Tunisia. A jihadist group attacked two young shepherds, killing one and forcing the survivor to carry a bloody message back to his family. The real-life case inspired Lotfi Achour’s harrowing drama “Red Path,” which played as part of the Meet the Neighbors competition at the Thessaloniki Film Festival.
“At first, I dismissed the idea of making a film based on this story, telling myself that I needed to let some time pass and my emotions calm down,” Achour told . “When a year and a half later the second brother was murdered in similar circumstances, it brought back the need for me to talk about it because it was no longer an isolated crime but premeditated acts on the part of jihadists. From then on, I was obsessed with making this film.
” “Red Path” tells the gruesome story from the point of view of 14-year-old Ashraf (Ali Hleli), who has to deal with not only the trauma of seeing his cousin beheaded but the horrifying ordeal of having to bring his head back home as a warning to his family and community. The film blends a stark naturalist snapshot of rural Tunisia with twinges of magical realism to tell a pained coming-of-age story. “What struck me first was the question of childhood in the face of such terrible violence,” said the director of his decision to center the film from the point of view of Ashraf.
“What could have been going through Ashraf.
