MAD Solutions Screens the Journey at the Palestinian National Theatre/Al Hakawati on Wednesday, February 13

In cooperation with Film Lab: Palestine, MAD Solutions will screen Iraqi director Mohamed Al Daradji's film The Journey at the Palestinian National Theatre/Al Hakawati on Wednesday, February 13, just one day ahead of its commercial release in Cinescape cinemas in Kuwait.

 

The Palestinian National Theatre/Al Hakawati is a Palestinian-owned theatre in Jerusalem's American Colony neighborhood. The theatre actively encourages and promotes Palestinian artistic and cultural activities and collaborates with the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, several United Nations organizations, and a wide range of local and international NGOs.

 

Most recently, The Journey was screened at Roxy Cinemas in the UAE and Metropolis Cinema in Lebanon. It also took part in the 17^th Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh, and won the Best Screenplay award at the 1^st Casablanca Arab Film Festival in Morocco marking its ninth international award after taking part in many film festivals. Selected as Iraq's official submission to the 2019 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the film received the Best Actress award to its lead Zahraa Ghandour at the 4^th Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles.

 

The Journey also won the Best Director award and Best Actress award to Zahraa Ghandour at the Malmö Arab Film Festival in Sweden, a Special Mention at the Oran Arabic International Film Festival in Algeria, the Jury Award and Best Actress Award at the Muscat International Film Festival, the Special Jury Award at its Egyptian premiere at the Sharm El-Sheikh Film Festival, in addition to the Grand Prize of the Arab World Institute to director Mohamed Al Daradji and Best Actress Award  to Zahraa Ghandour at the Festival des Cinémas Arabes à Paris in France. The Journey landed its world premiere at the 14^th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), within the Muhr Feature competition.

 

The film screened at more than 10 international festivals all over the world, the last of which was at the Karama Human Rights Film Festival in Jordan. The film also took part in the 23^rd Rabat International Festival for Author's Cinema, the Palestine Cinema Days and the Arab Film Festival Zurich, and competed in the official competitions of the BFI London Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festivaland the Busan International Film Festival. The film made its US premiere at the Miami Film Festival. The Journey also screened at the Cairo Cinema Days in Egypt.

 

The film is set in Baghdad in 2006. As Sara stands on the cusp of committing an unthinkable act, an unforeseen and awkward encounter gives her the opportunity to witness the potential consequences of her destructive action. But is this a second chance or an admission of guilt?

 

Directed by Mohamed Al Daradji, who co-wrote the film with Isabelle Stead, The Journey stars Zahraa Ghandour and Ameer Jbara. The film is produced by Human Film, Iraqi Independent Film Center (IIFC), in cooperation with Lionceau Films, Iraq Al-Rafidain and Iraqi Media Network. The Journey received grants from the Doha Film Institute, AFAC - The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, World Cinema Fund(WCF), the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image Animée (CNC) of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Institut Français, Netherlands Film Fund, SANAD Development Fund (Abu Dhabi Film Festival) and Screen Yorkshire. The film is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.