Palestinian Premiere - In collaboration with Cairo International Film Festival
Synopsis
In a small village in the occupied Golan Heights, the life of a desperate unlicensed doctor, who is going through an existential crisis, takes another unlucky turn when he encounters a man wounded in the war in Syria. Overturning all community expectations in times of war and national crisis, he ventures forth to meet his newly found destiny.
Thomas "Tomm" Moore was born 7 January 1977 in Ireland. He is a filmmaker, animator, illustrator and comics artist. He co-founded Cartoon Saloon with Nora Twomey and Paul Young, an animation studio and production company based in Kilkenny, Ireland.
Ameer Fakher Eldin is a Syrian screenwriter and director. He was born in the former Soviet Union to Syrian parents from the occupied Golan Heights. After earning his BA in Film Studies, he made several award-winning short films. Fakher Eldin serves as a jury member on various film funds. His debut film The Stranger is also the first feature film from the Golan Heights. His new film project, Nothing of Nothing Remains, is in development
Synopsis
In 2000, Sami was the Arabic-English translator for the Syrian Olympic team in Sydney, Australia. A slip of the tongue forced him to stay in Australia and live in exile as a political refugee. In 2011, when the Syrian revolution starts and his brother is arrested, Sami risks everything to return to Syria to find him.
Thriller
France, Switzerland, Syria, Belgium, Qatar, USA
2020
Arabic, English with English subtitles
105 minutes
16+
Synopsis
Iwo lives in a small town with his mother and sister. A tragic memory of the fire in the Black Mill casts shadow over the place. The fire has taken its toll on everyone, especially Iwo’s family. When his mother loses the only source of income, she must quickly find a new job, leaving Iwo to take care of his younger sister.
Fiction, Action, Mystery
Poland
2020
Polish with Arabic subtitles
102 minutes
10+
Director: Mariusz Palej
Producer/s: Andrzej Papis, Maciej Sowiński
Mariusz Palej is a film director and cinematographer. Born in Kraków, he is a graduate of the Academy of Photography in Warsaw and the National Film School in Łódź. Primarily a documentary cinematographer for many years, he later on began working in feature films and TV theatre. He gained experience as a director working on music videos and TV series. His debut as a feature film director, ”Behind the Blue Door”, a film for children and family audiences, was shown at numerous festivals around the world and sold to several countries .
Synopsis
Forced to flee his native Bangladesh, eight year-old chess prodigy Fahim arrives in Paris with his father. Refused asylum, as illegal immigrants they spiral downwards into homelessness and desperation. By a stroke of luck, Fahim is introduced to one of France’s top chess coaches, Sylvain, who tutors him and gives him a sense of purpose.
Fiction, Biopic
France
2019
French, English and Bengali with Arabic subtitles
107 minutes
7+
Director: Pierre François Martin-Laval
Producer: Patrick Godeau
Pierre-François Martin-Laval is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and theatre director. He is well known in France for his acting performances in musical comedy but also in serious plays. He studied at the famous French school of acting Cours Florent. During his drama studies he met the friends with whom he formed the comedy team 'Les Robins des Bois' (The Robin Hoods) in 1996. Initially called The Royal Imperial Green Rabbit Company, they renamed themselves after their first significant success, a play entitled Robins des bois.
Rana & Anas are Syrian with dual French and American nationalities. They both live in Doha after leaving Damascus due to the Syrian conflict. They have written and directed five short films and are developing several feature films. Their last short, Mare Nostrum, started their careers in festivals with selections in Sundance and Dubai, and over 110 international selections and 36 awards. The Translator is their debut feature film
In collaboration with Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival
The Last Marble
A street kid loses his most precious marble creation, and decides to make another one. Sometimes children teach us what we can never learn from adults.
India
2012
Without dialogue
7 min 31 s
4+
Director: Manjari Makijany