Co-produced by the Dardenne brothers, this eco-thriller from French-Algerian director Farid Bentoumi smartly sidesteps the didacticism of its environmental advocacy. Interwoven into the suspenseful whistleblower tale is a tortuous father-daughter relationship, making this compact film a heartbreaking watch.
Arkalu, a giant chemical factory and the film’s “villain”, is an ominous yet unavoidable presence in a modest French town. The glue that binds Nour (Zita Hanrot), a young staff nurse, to this edifice extends beyond her office hours. Not only does her brother-in-law work there, but her father Slimane (Sami Bouajila) also acts as the workers’ veteran representative. Thus, when Nour discovers the plant’s toxic dumping ground, which causes numerous workers to develop cancer, her struggles to bring the company to justice are at once internal and external. Besides railing against the powerful Arkalu, she also faces disapproval from Slimane, who has absolute faith in the corporation as a crucial job provider for the community.
Considering that Red Soil moves through familiar beats of the genre – think Erin Brockovich or Dark Waters – what sets it apart is the emotional tug-of-war between father and daughter, beautifully portrayed by stellar acting from Bouajila and Hanrot. Instead of passing judgment, the film remains understanding of Slimane’s conservatism, which stems from a desire for financial security among working-class people in a precarious society. The film’s dump site – a vast, muddy patch of land stained with a striking red hue – is especially eerie as this is the real-life tainted ground surrounding the Gardanne power station in the south of France. The fact that this station is still in operation despite the reported hazards might render the film’s trust in the power of investigative journalism naive, yet it also adds a degree of credibility and awe to the poisonous, but strangely beguiling, landscape.
• Red Soil is released on 16 August on digital platforms.
