Red Soil review – father and daughter clash in heartbreaking eco-thriller

One woman's fight against a toxic chemical factory becomes a beguiling battleground for familial strife in a suspenseful film with hints of Erin Brockovich

Co-produced by the Dardenne brothers, this eco-thriller from French-Algerian director Farid Bentoumi smartly sidesteps the didacticism of its environmental advocacy. Interwoven into the suspenseful whistleblower tale is a tortuous father-daughter relationship, making this compact film a heartbreaking watch.

Arkalu, a giant chemical factory and the film's villain", is an ominous yet unavoidable presence in a modest French town. The glue that binds Nour (Zita Hanrot), a young staff nurse, to this edifice extends beyond her office hours. Not only does her brother-in-law work there, but her father Slimane (Sami Bouajila) also acts as the workers' veteran representative. Thus, when Nour discovers the plant's toxic dumping ground, which causes numerous workers to develop cancer, her struggles to bring the company to justice are at once internal and external. Besides railing against the powerful Arkalu, she also faces disapproval from Slimane, who has absolute faith in the corporation as a crucial job provider for the community.