The festival is dedicated to showcasing films advocating for Palestine.
MAD Solutions has sent two short films, Majdi El-Omari’s Mar Mama and Ward Kayyal’s Hamza: Chasing the Ghost Chasing Me, from its distribution catalogue to this year’s edition of the Al Ard Film Festival. The festival, dedicated to showcasing films advocating for Palestine, is scheduled to run from February 21 to 25.
Scheduled for the festival’s Short Film Competition on Friday, February 23, Mar Mama will grace the screen at 3:15 pm (GMT+1), followed by Hamza: Chasing the Ghost Chasing Me at 3:30 pm (GMT+1).
Written and directed by Majd Kayyal, Hamza: Chasing the Ghost Chasing Me has garnered acclaim, securing three awards during its festival circuit. Notable accolades include the Jury Award for Best Short Film at the Amman International Film Festival and Best Director at the Rotterdam Arab Film Festival.
Starring the acclaimed actor Kamel Al-Basha alongside Ruba Blal, Motaz Malhes, and Khoulod Tannous, the film narrates the poignant tale of Hamza, a middle-aged man steadfast in his daily routine post his release from an Israeli prison. Every day, he embarks on a quest into the woods, hunting a lion that the locals dismiss as mythical.
Hamza: Chasing the Ghost Chasing Me debuted at the Cairo International Film Festival and has since traversed various prestigious festivals including Malmö, Casablanca, and Toronto Arab Film Festivals. It has left its mark on platforms like Clermont-Ferrand, Reel Palestine, San Diego Arab, Bahrain, Cine-Palestine, and Sharm El-Sheikh film festivals, among others.
Meanwhile, Majdi El-Omari’s Mar Mama, featuring the award-winning Palestinian actor Ziad Bakri, offers an intimate exploration of the challenges faced by parents in conflict zones as they endeavour to safeguard their children’s well-being.
Having premiered at Ireland’s Indie Cork Festival, the film delves into the story of a young girl haunted by her mother’s demise and the recurrent assaults on her city. Amidst these trials, she becomes fixated on death. Her father, in a bid to divert her attention, immerses her in the creation of a stop-motion film. However, reality intrudes, and she seeks solace in her imagination and dreams.
The production of Mar Mama is a joint effort between Marsam 301 and Phoenix Films, supported by the Palestinian Ministry of Culture through the Palestinian Cultural Fund and the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture.
