Filmhuis Sneek: Red Path

They lie naked on the warm rocks, swim in the pools of water of the rocky valleys and tell of the time when the ocean covered the mountain. But disaster strikes mercilessly. Suddenly Achraf wakes up next to Nizar's severed head. "Show it to your mother and maybe then you will all learn not to come here again," he is told by the jihadists, who disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. Paralyzed by the shock, Achraf thoughtlessly picked up Nizar's head and traveled back to their village. Carrying a gym bag that is getting bloodier by the minute, Achraf hangs around, wishing he wasn't the one who had to break the news to Nizar's mother Mbarka. As Achraf struggles with guilt, grief and psychological effects of Nizar's death, the villagers force him to return to the mountain. He must accompany his family members to retrieve Nizar's body.

Red Path is a painful elegy about a stolen youth in areas affected by war and conflict. It may be that poor economic conditions force you to quit school and go to work. It may be that you are forced to choose between jihadists and pro-government organizations. It may be that your loved one is beheaded and you have to pull yourself together to continue living. Either way, the film takes the viewer on a dreamlike journey through a child's tormented psyche and incredible ability to overcome his traumas.