Rouge (Red Soil): dir Farid Bentoumi (2020)

An occupational nurse in a chemical plant turns whistleblower over toxic discharges but has to balance fighting for the truth against the risk of alienating her entire family. The result could be a goodies vs baddies thriller or a dogmatic dissertation; in fact it’s neither — yes, there are thriller elements, but the personal issues make it a rich study. That’s helped in no small part by the quality of the acting (Zita Hanrot as the nurse, Sami Bouajila as her father, Céline Sallette as a committed journalist with a dark side). Also relevant: it’s based on a real incident (in Hungary, but the same process is widely used around the world with the same dangers). As the review says, it’s a “tense and timely thriller”.

The film screens in the recently inaugurated NAAS film programme under the theme ‘Green Reel: Films for a Sustainable Future NAAS is a collaboration between several cultural institutions in the UAE, including the Goethe-Institut, the French and Canadian embassies, and the Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Manarat Al Sadiyyat.