An ambitious, haunting attempt to use genre filmmaking to reflect on the recent history of Tunisia, Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation features a tenacious female investigator in a mystery thriller that blends police procedural tropes with disquieting elements of allegorical horror. In the vast urban wasteland of the Gardens of Carthage, a district of Tunis initiated by the former Regime, where construction stopped at the beginning of the Revolution, two cops, Fatma and Batal, find a burnt body in one of the lots. As construction slowly resumes, they start looking into this mysterious case. When further unexplained self-immolations occur, the investigation takes a puzzling turn. The film’s mesmerizing visuals, supremely sinister score and female investigator who must combat misogyny on the job and blatant distrust of the police in the field, make it unlike any recent Tunisian film. The title means “shapes” in Arabic. Winner, Critics’ Prize, Neuchatel Fantastic Festival – Alissa Simon
Director Biography
Youssef Chebbi was born in Tunisia in 1984 and is an acclaimed actor, screenwriter, and director. His short films include “Vers le Nord” (2010) and “The Depths” (2012), as well as co-directing the documentary Babylon (12) and the feature Black Medusa (2021). Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation (2022) is his solo debut feature.