Where the Wind Comes From: Film Review

Where the Wind Comes From is a powerfully emotional drama. Eya Bellagha’s performance is stellar in this resonant and insightful film.

As the opening scene in Sundance Film Festival selection Where the Wind Comes From, this encapsulates the dynamic between two lifelong friends and the journey they are about to embark upon. This is a story of rebellion and freedom, of risk-taking against a perpetual feeling of stuckness. Eya Bellagha is a force to be reckoned with in a tragic but beautiful film about accepting the things you cannot change and changing the things you cannot accept.

When Alyssa learns of an art contest in Djerba, she convinces Mehdi, a talented art hobbyist struggling to find a job in computer science, to travel there in hopes of using the prize money to leave Tunisia. They’ve put up with their lives long enough, Alyssa reasons, and it’s time to turn their long-held daydreams into reality. But with little money and even less planning, the trip becomes more chaotic and treacherous than they would have hoped. As a road trip film, Where the Wind Comes From has a clear linear storyline, lending to the viewers’ perpetual hope that Alyssa and Mehdi make it to the contest on time and win the prize money.

But the obstacles they encounter offer an unpredictable element that keeps viewers guessing at the main characters’ ability to achieve their dreams. Going from city to city in Tunisia allows the film to function as a showcase of the country through the curious eyes of Alyssa. Tunisian cultural standards are a central component of Alyssa’s character arc, and politics are tangential though they contribute to the story’s tension. Writer-director Amel Guellaty effortlessly weaves together cultural commentary with Alyssa’s deeply personal and resonant story.

Where the Wind Comes From is equally dramatic and comedic, both elements used with perfect timing so they don’t diminish one another. It’s easy to connect with Alyssa and Mehdi, two close friends with differing personalities. Though their outlook on life is different—Mehdi is more willing to accept his current situation than Alyssa—they are both haunted by dreams. They both hope for better lives; Mehdi’s art reflects the wonder he wishes to see in the world, while Alyssa frequently imagines her surroundings changing in a transcendental and artistic way. Frida Marzouk’s cinematography and Chadi Abo’s visual effects capture the characters’ mental states phenomenally: in one scene where Mehdi is painting, the camera refuses to center on him or Alyssa. It instead leaves them just beyond the frame, an indication of their hopes to be free from constriction and the daunting reality that they may never be.

Though the story becomes somewhat diluted in the second act as Mehdi and Alyssa continue their journey to Djerba, there aren’t many moments that feel wasted or pointless. In fact, the third act comes as a dramatic surprise because of this. It ends in an unexpected way, but its final moments are deeply emotional and profound. After taking such risks to make this journey, Mehdi and Alyssa come to deep philosophical and personal realizations. That everyone is, in a sense, on their own personal journey to a desired destination, is a central and unifying theme of this powerful film.

As a coming-of-age drama, Where the Wind Comes From is a profound exploration of freedom, hardship, and the power of dreaming. Its cinematography, script, and acting are stellar, and the result is an insightful work that is sure to resonate with many.

Where the Wind Comes From had its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2025.