Severed Head (Tête Coupée)
Qumra Projects
/ Feature Narrative / Tunisia, France, Qatar / 2020
In Arabic
Rated: This film has not been rated.
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Synopsis
Two young shepherds, Nizar (16), and his cousin Achraf (14) are grazing their goats on a meadow, high in a mountainous region in the Central West of Tunisia. This area has become a militarised zone, prohibited to civilians since it began serving as a hideout for Jihadist groups. Unaware of their misjudgment, the two shepherds are violently attacked and Achraf loses consciousness. When Achraf wakes up, he sees Nizar’s body lying inanimately beside him, as one of the terrorists kicks a round mass towards him, telling him to bring it back to their family. Achraf discovers with horror, that it is his cousin’s severed head. After some hesitation, full of pain and fear, Achraf finally places the severed head in his bag and carries his terrible burden down the mountain. He finds the courage to perform his abhorrent duty with Rahma’s support, his 13-year-old cousin. The victim’s family will try to recover the teenager’s body at all costs, as they refuse to bury him without his body.