Where the Wind Comes From

2025 [ARABIC]

Comedy / Drama

4
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 100% · 13 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 100%
IMDb Rating 6.9/10 10 274 274

Plot summary

Alyssa, a rebellious 19 year-old girl, and her friend Mehdi — a shy and introverted 23-year-old young man — who use their imagination to escape their unpromising reality. When they discover a contest in the south of Tunisia that may allow them to flee for real, they decide to undertake the road trip regardless of the obstacles in their way.

Director

Amel Guellaty Photo
Amel Guellaty

Top cast

Sondos Belhassen Photo
Sondos Belhassen as Mme Ben Saleh
Lobna Mlika Photo
Lobna Mlika as Alyssa's mother
Zeineb Neji Photo
Zeineb Neji as Zeineb Jlizi
Saoussen Maalej Photo
Saoussen Maalej
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 1080p.WEB
908.72 MB
1280*536
Arabic 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   bg   cz   hr   hu   mk   pl   ro   sl   sr  
25 fps
1 hr 38 min
Seeds 39
1.82 GB
1920*804
Arabic 5.1
NR
Subtitles us   bg   cz   hr   hu   mk   pl   ro   sl   sr  
25 fps
1 hr 38 min
Seeds 65
1.65 GB
1920*804
Arabic 5.1
NR
Subtitles us   bg   cz   hr   hu   mk   pl   ro   sl   sr  
25 fps
1 hr 38 min
Seeds ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by 7 / 10

Loved Eya and Slim's performances. A beautiful little film. [+73%]

This is a film likely to fly under everyone's radar, but if you get a chance to see it, don't miss. It's both relatable and deeply explorative, at times rooted to its specific landscape, and at times, universal. I'm a (day)dreamer who imagines pigheads and wings on people, so I was instantly hooked by the protagonist Alyssa's whimsical traits -- Eya Bellagha is absolutely wonderful here, and so is Slim Baccar as Mehdi. I also liked how they displayed a strong (and protective) sibling bond throughout (as longtime friends, i.e.) sans sexual tension, even when there were plenty of circumstances for it. That itself is so energising to see, in a generation that's marred by also sorts of "whatever-ships."I love how art is incorporated into the film, both as a means to express and understand the leads' psyches. They aren't very complicated people per se -- they keep making mistakes like stealing a car from a local thug and goodies from a convenience store -- yet these are people I'd love to sit down with (as a third person) at the beach and talk in length to, and take lots of candid pictures of. Writer-director Amel Guellaty makes exemplary use of desert and beach terrain; she uses the art competition as a means to an end, but focuses on the journey of "getting there." Frida Marzouk's cinematography captures rustic Arab scenery in full glory, making this road trip filled with memorable moments (happy, funny, stressful, sad, and introspective).Oh, the review would be incomplete without a mention of the ABSOLUTELY STELLAR soundtrack, which truly swept me away. I found the entire list of songs (thanks Reddit!), and they're gonna be on my forever favourites list. The story does take turns rather quickly, especially given its 95-minute runtime, and the CG work is not the best, but that did not deter my viewing experience at any point. Life is full of imperfections, distressing incidents, and weird people.. so, it's okay. I actually wouldn't mind a (few years later) sequel to this from the same writer-director, as I was invested in this duo's antics all the way.
Reviewed by 7 / 10

A modest and carefully constructed road trip in modern Tunisia

Alyssa is a student in Tunis, has as many family responsibilities and also dreams of escaping to Europe. Mehdi Is her slightly older neighbour and is a talented painter. He is looking for a job as art is not paying the bills.Alyssa enrolls Mehdi in an art competition in Djerba, without consultation and without his knowledge. The prize is a trip to Germany. Although Europe is more her dream than his, Mehdi goes along with her demanding enthusiasm. What starts is a combo of road movie and a gripping coming-of-age story.He is the dreamer with artistic talents, she is the hustler with a defiant drive to succeed.Will their ambitious plan succeed? No matter. Where the Wind Comes From is a beautiful portrait of modern Tunisia.
Reviewed by 7 / 10

Simple but effective story about friendship

Watched at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.Filmmaker Amel Guellaty takes a rather simple and predictable story, yet, is still filled with a good heart and passion with two strong performances from the main leads, good camerawork and a good sense of realism that expresses the themes about hope, friendship, and a journey beyond themselves.Guellaty understands the bases of how teenagers navigate their challenges and with the characters roaming around, it begins an interesting study and observation about their journey to which I really enjoyed seeing. Alongside with some solid emotional writing, fun humor, and a likable group of different characters throughout. The camerawork that shows Tunisia is very beautiful with some absolutely colorful backgrounds that are breathtaking, and added with some interesting soundtrack choices from Tunisian musicians.Writing wise, there are some good themes explored but as I said, it does end up feeling predictable as it didn't really wow me. Especially with a third act that feels a bit rushed and unfulfilled. But overall, it's a good heartfelt tale.
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