Nazareth. An elderly couple goes through the motions of a jaded existence; not even the idea of the upcoming visit by their son Hicham, who emigrated to Sweden years earlier, can distract them. On the other side of the border, in Ramallah, Samar is expecting a baby and takes care of the future child’s grandmother, while her brother Tarek has no intention of becoming engaged to Maysa, a friend of Samar. Whose husband, a mechanic, is offered a part in an American movie. [cg]
Biography
film director
Maha Haj
Maha Haj, grew up in Nazareth, worked as a set designer for various productions and at the same time became involved in directing and screenwriting. She debuted in 2oo9 with the short Oranges and later wrote and directed the documentary Within These Walls (2010) and Personal Affairs (2016), which marks her debut in fiction feature films.
FILMOGRAFIA
Oranges (cm, 2009), Within These Walls (doc., 2010), Omor Shakhsiya (Personal Affairs, 2016).
Declaration
film director
“The space mirrors the characters. They have very different personalities, even if they belong to the same family. I wanted to translate that into images. Hicham, who lives in Sweden, is in harmony with his environment. The country’s quiet whiteness sharply contrasts with the noise that prevails in Nazareth and Ramallah. Tarek is dynamic and somewhat neurotic. He is much more like Ramallah. In Nazareth, the parents are also affected by their daily rut. Domestic space acts like a mirror here as well. I wanted to highlight these diverging situations through composition in the frame and colors.”
Cast
& Credits
Maha Haj
fotografia/cinematography
Elad Debi
montaggio/film editing
Véronique Lange
scenografia/production design
Rabia Safiti
costumi/costume design
Hamada Atallah
suono/sound
Raja Dubayah
interpreti e personaggi/cast and characters
Sanaa Shawahdeh (Nabeela), Mahmoud Shawahdeh (Saleh), Doraid Liddawi (Tarek), Hanan Hillo (Samar), Ziad Bakri (Hicham), Amer Hlehel (George), Maisa Abd Elhadi (Maysa), Jihan Dermelkonian (la nonna/grandmother)
produttore/producer
Baher Agbariya
produzione/production
Majdal Films
coproduttori/coproducers
Ehab Assal, Monther Haj
contatti/contacts
Films Boutique
Giorgia Hueisse
giorgia@filmsboutique.com
www.filmsboutique.com