El'­sar­di­nes

Zouzou, a 30-year-old marine biologist from Oran, feels increasingly pressured by the expectations of her family. The upcoming wedding of her younger sister heightens the strain on Zouzou: she’s also meant to finally get married, give up her job and conform to the social norms. But Zouzou has other plans: she wants to join a research ship to investigate why the sardines have stopped returning to the coast of Algeria. In the Algerian city by the ocean, Zouzou’s internal struggle for self-determination unfolds. Will she stay – or will she follow the shoals of fish and in doing so pursue her own self?

Zoulikha Tahar’s short-format series shifts between disillusionment and hope, new beginnings and the constrictions of the Algerian province. Family chronicle, environmental fable and feminist manifesto in equal parts, the craving for freedom as well as stagnation lie at the very heart of the protagonist’s decisions. With compelling performances, including from untrained actors, and set in Ain El Turk near Oran, ‘El'sardines’ is authentically situated, with narrative clarity and poetic depth, just like – excuse the pun – a fish in water. A wonderful debut from the young and multifaceted filmmaker Takhar, who also has a career as a poetry slammer.