One knows a film is working when the characters from the story linger even after the film is over. In Tunisian director Amel Guellaty’s charming road trip comedy Where the Wind Comes From, Alyssa and Mehdi are two terrific examples of the same kind. One has a perchance for creating trouble; the other’s first instinct is to run away. Together, these two 20-year-olds are chaotic, hilarious and adamant about having a better life away from their homes. Will they succeed? That’s everything you know to accompany these two on a delightful and breezy road trip in the south of Tunisia. (Also read: Sabar Bonda review: First-ever Marathi film at Sundance is a tender, deeply moving study of queer love in rural India)
The premise
Alyssa (Eya Bellagha) is tired of having to constantly take care of her ill mother and little sister. She wants to go out of her hometown and do something better with her life, a feeling most 19-year-olds can fathom. She finds the perfect opportunity when she stumbles upon an art competition that offers the winning artist a trip out of Tunisia. Alyssa doesn’t draw but her friend Mehdi (Slim Baccar) can, extremely well. Although he has a degree in Computer Science, his real passion lies in the arts. Alyssa convinces Mehdi to give this art contest a chance, and if they win, she can be his wife, and the rest can be sorted out on the way.
But how will they reach the contest? Who will give them the car? How will they manage so much money? Alyssa has an answer to each question Mehdi asks, even if that means getting both of them into trouble. Once they set off, the film takes shape, asserting its tone with more care. For all the anticipation of how this will turn out for the both of them, Amel Guellaty’s intelligent script never takes the familiar romantic beats.
The writing is devoid of easy sentimentality and provides space for these two young people to connect and have fun. Guellaty, who has also edited the film, maintains an easy rhythm in the scenes, where the viewer is also aware of Alyssa and Mehdi’s internal growth along the way. Just as it seems that a scene tags along a little too slowly (the nightclub ladies’ washroom one in particular), Guellaty pulls the threads together to take the wheel forward. It does not matter where they will end up as long as they are together.
What works
Where the Wind Comes From has its heart in the right place. It is a film that offers a refreshing take on the road trip comedy and acknowledges the anxieties and fears of this generation. Which works in the same way that Alyssa’s go-getter attitude never feels fake. She is like this because she cannot see how else she can find, in a largely patriarchal world, what she wants from her life. “If we can’t even dream, what’s left for us?” she asks. In contrast, Mehdi’s thoughtfulness stands out all the more vividly. On one occasion, Alyssa sees some rich acquaintances as pigs. She knows these people all too well; their ugly sophistication is clear as daylight to her. Thankfully, Mehdi stops her when she wants to speak her mind.
Both the leads are fantastic. Eya Bellagha has such an easy screen presence as Alyssa, infusing her rebellion with a distinct sense of purpose. If there’s a song that could fit her personality, it would definitely be Perfect Places by Lorde. She is also hilarious in a scene where she manages food from a shop without money. Slim Baccar’s Mehdi is silent and more careful but learns to give in to the crazy adventure that awaits him. Together, they share a lovely chemistry, so vital for the film to work in its restless second half. Where the Wind Comes From is a small miracle of a film with a giant, giant heart. I would embark on an adventure with Alyssa and Mehdi even if they didn’t ask me.
Santanu Das is covering Sundance Film Festival 2025 as part of the accredited press.