Directed by Mehdi Fikri | Written by Fikri, Claude Le Pape, and Aude Thuries | ▲▲▲▲△ | 98 min | VOD and Digital 

This is a gripping mix of social justice drama and political thriller, After The Fire is set in the projects of Strasbourg, where a close-knit Arabic-French family loses a son and brother, Karim (Abdelmalik Yahyaoui), when he’s picked up by police. He was known to them as a thief and an addict, and estranged from his family for similar reasons, but it’s clear he was beaten to death in custody — the police claim he had an epileptic fit brought on by drug use.

The film details what the family goes through in the days and weeks following. Their religion insists Karim’s body must be buried as soon as possible, but its physical trauma is also evidence of the way he was treated by the police. Karim’s sister, Malika (Camélia Jordana, terrific), who runs a small business with her husband, resists becoming the spokesperson for the family but ends up doing it anyway as Karim’s death sparks riots in the community.

There’s a lot going on in After The Fire. We get a portrait of an immigrant culture, the first generation struggling to find their way in the face of baked-in systemic racism. We get this family cracking with grief and pressures from within and without, especially as the movement to secure justice for Karim swirls around them, out of control, affecting their relationships and their careers. The ensemble is entirely naturalistic and convincing, with Sofiane Zermani, Sonia Faïdi, and Makita Samba especially impressive.

Here’s a film that’s had next to no buzz on this side of the Atlantic, but it’s entirely worth your time.