The 78th Locarno Film Festival lit up with thunderous applause and emotional resonance as Mehdi Hmili’s gripping workplace thriller EXILE held its world premiere, leaving audiences breathless and critics raving. Presented in the festival’s Fuori Concorso Program, the film drew a packed house and a standing ovation that echoed long after the credits rolled.
 
Following the screening, a powerful Q&A session featured director Mehdi Hmili alongside cast members Ghanem Zrelli, Maram Ben Aziza, Slim Baccar, Ilyes Belgacem, Mourad Gharsalli, and cinematographer Farouk Laaridh. In a poignant moment of solidarity, the cast and crew raised the flags of Palestine and Tunisia, drawing cheers and affirming the film’s commitment to resistance and identity.
 
A co-production between Tunisia, Luxembourg, France, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, EXILE follows Mohamed, a steel factory worker who survives a devastating explosion that leaves a slowly rusting piece of metal embedded in his head. Reassigned as a security guard and marginalized by the system, Mohamed embarks on a harrowing journey of revenge that unravels a deeper conspiracy — all while his physical condition deteriorates.
 
Produced by Moufida Fedhila under Yol Film House (Tunisia), Mehdi Hmili, Donato Rotunno of Tarantula (Luxembourg), and Michel Balagué under Volte Film (France), EXILE features a stellar cast, including Ghanem Zrelli, Maram Ben Aziza, Slim Baccar, Younes Farhi, Mohamed Kolsi, and Mourad Gharsalli. The film’s cinematography is by Farouk Laridha, with editing by Rawchen Mizouri and an original score by Amélie Legrand.
 
The Red Sea Film Festival Foundation and the Doha Film Institute are co-producing the film, with MAD World responsible for worldwide sales and MAD Distribution overseeing its distribution throughout the Arab world.
 
The project received support from CNC Tunisia, CNC France, the Luxembourg Film Fund, the Doha Film Institute, the Francophone Image Fund, La Fabrique Cinéma at Cannes, the Red Sea Fund, the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, and France TV. It also garnered four prestigious awards from the CineGouna platform at the El Gouna Film Festival.
 
Mehdi Hmili is a Tunisian director, screenwriter, and producer whose bold and compelling films have garnered international acclaim. In France, he directed a critically praised black-and-white trilogy exploring themes of love and exile: X-MOMENT (2009), LI-LA (2011), and THE NIGHT OF BADR (2012).
 
He directed and co-produced STREAMS (2021), which had its world premiere at the 74th Locarno Film Festival. The film received widespread praise and won numerous awards, including Best Actress at the Cairo International Film Festival, Best Director at the Malmö Arab Film Festival, the Jury Prize at the Kolkata International Film Festival, and the Special Jury Prize at the Plurielles Festival in France. Released theatrically in Tunisia, France, and Luxembourg, STREAMS was later acquired by Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Canal+ VOD.
 
Mehdi Hmili has also served as a jury member, consultant, and mentor at various festivals across Europe and the Arab world, including the Amman International Film Festival.
 
An alumnus of the prestigious Torino Film Lab and Film Independent’s Global Media Makers program, he is also the showrunner of ALL ABOUT ADAM, a true-story-based series supported by the Series Lab of the Doha Film Institute. As a prominent figure in Tunisia’s cinematic new wave, Hmili continues to champion bold storytelling that resonates globally.