Twelve Thousand is the fiction debut of documentary filmmaker Nadège Trebal, which she not only wrote and directed but also delivers a magnetic performance in the co-starring role. The film follows Frank, a labourer and swindler who loses his job at a scrapyard when they discover the latter. Frank and his girlfriend Marouissa agree that he’ll leave their home to find work, not to return until he’s made exactly the equivalent of what she makes in a year. This starts Frank on a journey to maintain his autonomy and self-respect within his relationship and as a labourer in an exploitative system of forced mobility. Twelve Thousand is studded with surprising and potent details, and every character is complex and given respectful space to reveal themselves. Trebal shapes each scene with an assured, playful, erotic physicality, establishing herself as a filmmaker to be excited about.

—Rebecca Falvey