Sidi Bouzid, 17 December 2010. Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor sets himself on fire in response to the confiscation of his wares and the constant harassment and humiliation inflicted on him by a corrupt policeman, a municipal official and her aides.

Sidi Bouzid, ten years after, Ali Hamdi, a street vendor of petrol, goes through the same way of the cross. For years, the policeman on duty has been fining him for unauthorized trade, demanding bribes to make him turn a blind eye. The administration has remained deaf to his requests. In spite of everything, the young man has managed - by all the existing means - to save enough money to take care of his two sisters. But in the end, all the odds being against him, Ali, as desperate as Mohamed Bouazizi ten years before, in his turn sets himself on fire.

In between yet, dictator Ben Ali has been driven out of power by the people in demand of democracy. Judging but what happens to Ali, nothing has changed basically: the same corruption is rife, injustice reigns, the very poor remain in dire straits while a minority unabashedly reap the benefits.

Such is the terrible assessment made by writer-director Lotfy Nathan (who has - unfortunately - bee proved right by current situation in Tunisia).

As for the way he puts it on the screen, let's say it is just excellent: Nathan, who is also his own scriptwriter, tells the story to great effect, sensitivity coming in addition to brilliant technical skills. The scenes follow one another with remarkable fluidity, but also with the inexorability and implacability of tragedy. His feverish drama is constantly in tune with the rhythm of the young hero's renewed but increasingly futile efforts. Another asset is the young actor playing Ali, Adam Bessa, who brings a lot to the film, always managing to capture the character's silent determination and sullen rage: no doubt he deserves the award he won at Cannes in 2022 . The same applies to Eli Keszler, who composed the powerful, rhythmic score and to Sophie Corra and Thomas Niles, who performed the "edgy" editing, worthy of a mainstream thriller. Thanks this addition of talents, there is never a dull moment during the relatively short running time (87 minutes) of "Harka".

A pessimistic film, agreed, but dynamically directed by the excellent Lotfy Nathan, "Harka" is so powerfully compelling that its tragic finale is even more gripping.

A must-see, but not just to pass the time.