Essaida
(Essaïda)

Amine, a painter living in Tunis, goes through a creative crisis while preparing an exhibition. On the streets, he meets Nidal, a young teenager. Fascinated by Nidal’s attitudes, Amine follows him up to his neighbourhood, Essaida. There live a concentration of varions populations who came from the countryside and settled outside Tunis looking for dreams and work. Amine manages to persuade Nidal to become his model. Nidals father, an alcoholic, ill-treats his son because he refuses to obey and brings no money home. Amine is deeply moved by his discovery of Essaida and Nidal’s situation. Backat his place, the artist decides to cancel his exhibition and to go and start a new life at Essaida. He transposes the atmosphere and people’s dreams into his painting, a world full of colours and light. Nidal eventually leaves Amine and falls into delinquency. Amine tries to recover his bearings and balance.