The film “The Color of Phosphate” was screened on Friday at the Cinematheque, as part of the documentary films participating in the Oran International Arab Film Festival.

Directed by Ridha Tlili, the documentary tells the story of the suffering of miners and the places where phosphate is extracted and mined, through a Tunisian miner working in a phosphate mine. The documentary’s protagonist recounts the lives of miners, himself and his colleagues, who work for a foreign mining company. People in his region rejoice when they or their family members are accepted to work there, whereas in the past, during the colonial era, they would grieve when this happened. “The colonizers sent them to die and get rid of them, but things have improved significantly since the 1980s.” The documentary follows the lives of miners and the negative effects this profession has on individuals and their health. The worker and his colleagues lost their teeth, forcing him to get dentures. “The company made us sick. Our teeth are falling out because of the phosphate. It’s ruined our smiles,” he says.

The film’s protagonist explains that he suffered an accident at work when a huge truck wheel fell on his back. Its heavy weight affected his health, and he still suffers from back pain to this day. The phosphate also caused him to develop osteoporosis, resulting in a deformity in his arm at the elbow.

Although he, his colleagues, and the residents of his area inherited their land and homes from their fathers and grandfathers, they are strangers in their own land and country. The land still belongs to the mining company, which, while a primary source of livelihood for many in the area, also remains a threat to their safety and the future of their children. They could be forced to vacate their land and leave their homes at any moment, as the company owns the land. “The land belongs to the company; they can easily evict you if you stand against them. Our homes have been here since our ancestors’ time, but we don’t own them. We raised this issue with the Tunisian parliament, but nothing has changed.”

Although gray dominates the area where he works and the neighborhood where he lives, his house is painted with a yellow wall that breaks the gray cement and a red door that breaks the stillness of the gloomy gray neighborhood. He always says, “I don’t like the colors of death, like gray, brick red, and pale yellow. I prefer vibrant colors.” The worker didn’t stop at the colors that adorn his house to break the gloom of gray that hangs over his neighborhood; he preferred to add the vibrant green of plants and established his small farm behind his house. “I found the place gray and brick red, so I dedicated myself to farming to add the colors of life. I hate gray; it suggests death.”

The protagonist doesn’t merely combat the outward manifestations of despair in his neighborhood; he strives to spread hope, life, and smiles among its inhabitants. He adopts the guise of a clown, painting his nose and lips red, sporting a disheveled red hairstyle, and wearing a green shirt with red pockets and yellow trousers with black stripes. He wanders the streets, happily posing for photos with young and old alike, their faces beaming with smiles. The protagonist of the documentary “The Color of Phosphate” is a symbol of the resilient individual. He doesn’t succumb to imposed despair; he resists it in his own way, with optimism and a love for life and its vibrant colors. He affirms, “I create my circumstances, they don’t create me.” He escapes reality by reading books. He teaches his daughters the love of theater and acting techniques, and seeks to instill in them a love for nature, life, and agriculture. The documentary concludes with a scene of his young son, the boy who has grown up alongside the film, walking along an abandoned railway track toward the unknown—a symbol of the uncertain future that awaits generations to come.

Sarra Ayachi