The project brings together Yemen, Sudan and Saudi Arabia in a landmark co-production.
Amr Gamal’s Yemeni film The Burdened (Al Murhaqoon) is set to hold its world premiere at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama Section on February 20 at 4 pm at Kino International in the presence of the film’s director, producer, and cast.
The Burdened is the first Yemeni film to play in the official selection of the Berlinale.
The film is also set to have a screening for media accreditation on Saturday, February 18 at 6:30 pm at Cubix 2, along with four more screenings for the public during the festival, which is running from February 16 to 26.
The Burdened is based on a true story set in Aden, Yemen. The film follows Ahmed, Isra’a, and their three children after they both lose their jobs as a result of an economic crisis.
The film is directed by Amr Gamal, who shares screenwriting credits with Mazen Refaat. The film stars Khaled Hamdan, Abeer Mohammed, Samah Alamrani, and Awsam Abdulrahman.
It also brings together Yemen, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia in a landmark co-production that was first brought to international attention at the 2022 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it earned the Works in Progress Post-Production Development Award in the festival’s industry sidebar, Eastern Promises. MAD Solutions is managing the film’s distribution in the Arab world, while Films Boutique is managing international sales.
The Burdened is co-produced by Mohsen Alkhalifi, Mohammed Alomda, and Amjad Abu Alala.
Amr Gamal is an independent Yemeni film and theatre director. In 2003, he received the President’s Award for Playwriting. In 2005, Gamal established the Khaleej Aden Theater Troupe and has written and directed all of the troupe’s theatre productions since 2005.
