The heart of the film follows Soualem, Hina Abbass’s filmmaker daughter, as she returns to her mother’s village.
French Palestinian Algerian filmmaker and actress Lina Soualem’s documentary feature, Bye Bye Tiberias, has been chosen for screening in the Documentary Competition section of the 67th BFI London Film Festival, slated to take place from October 4 to 15, 2023.
In her feature, Soualem weaves the narratives of four generations of Palestinian women from her own family, including her mother, the acclaimed actress Hiam Abbass.
Three decades ago, Hiam embarked on a journey from her native Palestinian village of Deir Hanna in Galilee to Paris, where she aspired to fulfil her acting dreams. Growing up alongside her grandmother Um Ali, mother Neemat, and seven sisters, Hiam’s bold decision led her to a new life, The place where her daughter Lina was born, thirty-two years ago. Despite her departure, Hiam took Lina to her village every summer during her childhood, and all their trips were filmed. As Lina looks back at these videotapes from the ’90s, she starts questioning her mother’s bold choices, her chosen exile and the way the women of her family, whom she left behind, have influenced her life.
The documentary will world premiere on September 3, 2023, at the Venice International Film Festival, followed by its North American premiere in Toronto on September 11.
Bye Bye Tiberias is a France-Belgium-Qatar-Palestine co-production in French and Arabic.
