Film · Morocco

On the Edge

Directed by Leila Kilani · Arabic · 2011 · 105 min

Set between a numbing, malodorous factory and the demi-monde of nocturnal Tangier, two street-smart young women work tirelessly to move on with their lives. By day the fast-talking, live-wire Badia and her quiet friend Imane peel shrimp in a factory; by night, they hit the seaside hotels, turn tricks and steal small objects from their clients to pawn. One night they meet two pretty girls their own age who work in the Free Zone of Tangier, a heavily guarded, European-style industrial area. The determined Badia hates peeling shrimps and sees the two new girlfriends, who are slightly better off, as a springboard.