ON THE EDGE

Badia and Imane are in their early twenties and work in Tangier in a factory peeling shrimp – piecework, badly paid, and the smell gets into the skin. At night the two roam the city, stealing, cheating, selling whatever they get their hands on; Badia does not call it theft but restitution. Together with two workers from the free trade zone, whose textile factories count as the better place to work, they form a foursome whose dealings grow ever more risky. “On the Edge” (original title “Sur la planche”) by Leïla Kilani, Morocco/France/Germany 2011, follows them through days and nights.

Kilani keeps the camera close to the bodies and dispenses with psychological or sociological explanations; Badia’s breathless monologues give the film its rhythm, and Soufia Issami carries it in the lead role. The premiere took place in May 2011 at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes. The film was shown at Around the World in 14 Films in Berlin in 2011.

Shown at the 2011 edition of Around the World in 14 Films.

All films 2011 · Film Archive