On the eve of Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution, a young woman struggles against family and society to pursue a singing career in this impressive, generally nuanced debut. Sharply yet subtly capturing the atmosphere of fear fostered by the dictatorship of President Ben Ali, this deftly made drama is especially attuned to the myriad forms of surveillance, from the prurient to the political. Showcasing a stand-out lead performance by first-timer Baya Medhaffer, who plays an aspiring thrush in a new band about to perform their first gig, the film boasts an appealing youthfulness, buoyed by intriguing compositions from Iraqi musician Khyam Allami. At the same time, it skillfully conjures the pressure-cooker atmosphere lying just below Tunisia’s surface during the waning days of the dictatorship in 2010, opening our eyes to a society where informers are discovered in unlikely places, and expectations for women run counter to self-expression.