EXILE

Genre: Social Thriller / Drama

Languages: Arabic

Subtitles: French / English

Format: 2K

Sound: 5.1

Duration: 127 min

Countries: Tunisia, Luxembourg, France.

Year: 2025

SYNOPSIS

Logline:

Mohamed, a steelworker devastated by the accident that killed his friend, rises up against corruption, ultimately becoming a symbol of resistance and sacrifice.

Synopsis:

In an industrial world scarred by tragedy, Mohamed, a worker in the country’s largest steel factory, a national enterprise on the brink of bankruptcy and about to be privatized, embarks on an unyielding quest for truth and justice. Marked by an accident that claimed the life of his friend Adel, he ends up with a piece of metal lodged in his head, which begins to rust slowly.

Demoted from his position at the steel mill to that of a watchman, he confronts loss, isolation, and a conspiracy that extends far beyond the factory walls. As the rust spreads through his body, Mohamed gradually transforms into a man of rust, a physical metamorphosis that symbolizes both his decay and his resilience.

His desperate search for answers leads him to face dark forces, change his identity, and risk his own life. Through internal struggles, violent confrontations, and shocking revelations, Mohamed evolves from a mere worker into a symbol of resistance. In a final act of sacrifice, he exposes the depth of corruption and becomes a martyr for the workers’ cause, turning his story into a fierce outcry against injustice and betrayal.

CREDITS

Script: Mehdi Hmili

Director: Mehdi Hmili

Image: Issam Saidi

Sound: Chawki Kooli

Editing: Rawchen Mizouri

Music: Amélie Legrand

Re-recording mixer: Mike Butcher

Cast: Ghanem Zrelli, Maram Ben Aziza, Slim Baccar, Mohamed Kolsi, Younes Ferhi, Mourad Gharsalli, Fakher Wahchy.

Co-produced by Yol Film House (TN), Tarantula (LU)  and Volte Film (FR).

With the support of Film Fund Luxembourg, Doha Film Institute, CNCI/CNC Bilateral Fund, Red Sea Fund, Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC), Fonds Image de la Francophonie (OIF), France TV Paca.

Sales: MAD World (Arabic world)

FESTIVALS

DIRECTOR

Mehdi Hmili is a Tunisian director, screenwriter, and producer whose bold and compelling films have

garnered international acclaim. In France, he directed a critically praised black-and-white trilogy

exploring themes of love and exile: “X-Moment” (2009), “Li-La” (2011), and “The Night of Badr” (2012).

He directed and co-produced “Streams” (2021), which had its world premiere at the 74th Locarno Film

Festival. The film received widespread praise and won numerous awards, including Best Actress at the

Cairo International Film Festival, Best Director at the Malmö Arab Film Festival, the Jury Prize at the

Kolkata International Film Festival, and the Special Jury Prize at the Plurielles Festival in France.

Released theatrically in Tunisia, France, and Luxembourg, Streams was later acquired by Netflix, Apple

TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Canal+ VOD.

His latest film, “Exile”, officially selected for the 78th Locarno Film Festival, had been distinguished at La

Fabrique Cinéma of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival and received several development awards, including

the CineGouna Screenplay Prize at the El Gouna Film Festival, affirming Hmili’s unique cinematic voice.

He is currently writing and developing “Made In” with Tarantula.

NEWS