By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there’s always more we can learn about them as people. We decided to get to the bottom of those artistic wells with our ongoing series: Give Me the Backstory!
With her feature debut, Tunisian writer-director Amel Guellaty set out to tell a story about characters we rarely get to see on screen: Tunisian youth. More specifically, the dynamic between two very different young people who dream of escaping their current reality. “This is the story of a true friendship between a girl and a boy,” says Guellaty of her film Where the Wind Comes From, which premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. “It was very important for me to write this kind of story, where two characters can share such deep emotional ties without ever involving sexuality. And I think this kind of relationship is not represented enough in cinema, even though it’s so common in life. At least, it is in my life.”
Where the Wind Comes From follows 19-year-old Alyssa (Eya Ballagha) and 23-year-old Mehdi (Slim Baccar) as they embark on a road trip to the south of Tunisia for a contest that the outspoken Alyssa believes could be their ticket out of their stagnant circumstances. Up until this point, Alyssa and Mehdi have been using their imaginations to dream of a different life, which Guellaty shows through surreal and comedic sequences. “Regardless of social background or level of education, everyone has an imagination, a refuge in their mind that allows them to escape,” explains the filmmaker. “This refuge has always been important to me, and I wanted to bring it to life through images in my first film.”
Read on to learn more about Guellaty and Where the Wind Comes From, including the unusual journey to casting Alyssa and how the writer-director crafted characters who break away from Arab stereotypes.
Describe who you want Where the Wind Comes From to reach.
This film is about youth. I want it to resonate with young people everywhere, to speak to them and make them see themselves in it. The 20s or late teens is a stage of life I find incredibly touching and full of promise. I hope this film will resonate not only with people in that age group but also with anyone who finds that time of life meaningful, as well as those who appreciate complex and intimate relationships.
Films are lasting artistic legacies; what do you want yours to say?
I’m happy to work on strong and complex female characters. Unfortunately, in the history of cinema, female characters haven’t always been given the space they deserve, nor the depth and complexity necessary for a well-rounded character. I would like my films to leave a significant mark for various reasons, but at this stage of my career, I especially want to create female characters that break away from international and Arab stereotypes.
Tell us an anecdote about casting or working with your actors.
I cast the lead actress of the film, Eya Bellagha, seven years ago to play the stunt double for the main role in my first short film, Black Mamba. There was a female boxing scene in the film, and I needed a real boxer. Since Eya was the Tunisian Thai boxing champion, I cast her at the time when she was only 17. This experience sparked her interest in acting. I kept in touch with her after the shoot, and seven years later, she came to audition for Alyssa, a role she nailed. From the first casting, I knew it was her. She went from being the stand-in to the lead actress.
Why does this story need to be told now?
I wrote this movie to give a voice to my generation and the next. I wanted to highlight the challenges, struggles, and frustrations of Tunisian youth — a generation where many, aged 18 to 30, dream of leaving the country.
Although the film reflects a sad post-revolution reality, where young people are left to navigate limited opportunities on their own, the atmosphere remains light. I didn’t want to write a social drama that felt heavy or difficult to connect with. Instead, it was crucial for me to craft a comedy that addresses serious topics while capturing the energy, tone, and humor of youth. This film is set in Tunisia, but I hope it has a universal impact that speaks to everyone.
Also, with the return to conservatism, toxic masculinity, and the distinctions between men and women, it is important to create sensitive male characters and courageous female characters without resorting to caricature.
Tell us why and how you got into filmmaking.
I’ve always wanted to make films since I was a teenager, mainly because I loved telling stories. My father is a book publisher with a passion for photography, and I combined his two passions. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t literature or a love of words that drove me — it was my love for storytelling. I think in images, and sometimes it’s even the desire to create a certain type of image that inspires me to tell the story behind it. So naturally, I turned to cinema.
I wanted to attend La Fémis (a film school that only accepts students with at least two years of higher education). In the meantime, and to meet certain expectations, I studied law. I took my final exams, but during the year, I interned on film sets. Finally, I didn’t get into La Fémis, but I continued doing various internships in cinema until I wrote my first short film, met my producer (I’ve been working with her since my first short), and this is how I got into filmmaking.
Why is filmmaking important to you? Why is it important to the world?
Films capture and reflect the values, struggles, and dreams of different societies. I’m happy to carry with me Tunisian reality, showcasing both the differences and commonalities between cultures. Cinema allows people to connect with individuals they wouldn’t typically meet, helping them understand complex emotions, ideas, and stories they might not experience in their own lives, which fosters empathy and a deeper understanding of certain situations.
During [the Sundance Film Festival], a young person from Utah could feel connected to a young Tunisian, and that’s the beauty of cinema.
In every story, no matter how personal, there is always a greater idea, a mirror of society, addressing pressing issues.
If you weren’t a filmmaker, what would you be doing?
Photography (it’s a bit of a cheat because I already am a photographer) or I would probably design decorative objects and furniture, creating objects with artisans, or maybe become a lawyer.
Who are your creative heroes?
Stanley Kubrick, Haruki Murakami, Azzedine Alaïa
What was the last thing you saw that you wish you made?
Aftersun — Charlotte Wells
One thing people don’t know about me is _____.
I often talk to myself out loud.
Which of your personal characteristics contributes most to your success as a storyteller?
I use my imagination as a form of meditation. It’s not just for my work — I use it to escape, to fall asleep, while exercising, and more. As a result, I often find myself in an inner world and storytelling naturally becomes a part of my daily life. Whether the story is good or not, I’m constantly creating.
Tell us about your history with Sundance Institute. When was the first time you engaged with us? Why did you want your film to premiere with us?
The Sundance Film Festival has always been my biggest dream because so many brilliant films have come out of it. Some of my all-time favorites carry its stamp. Whenever I see the Sundance logo on a poster, I know I’m in for a film I’ll love.
Who was the first person you told when you learned you got into the Sundance Film Festival?
My parents and my sister. We were all together in Paris. Then, I called my producer. Honestly, I was so excited. I had been dreaming of Sundance my whole life, and being selected for my first feature was a moment of pure happiness.
What’s your favorite film that has come from the Sundance Institute or Festival?
Little Miss Sunshine, Whiplash, Reservoir Dogs, Memento
