The film tells the story of 12-year-old Sami, who embarks on a journey with his uncle and cousin to search for his beloved pet pigeon after it escapes from their home in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
The Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF) has announced that Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi’s film, Passing Dreams, will open the festival’s 15th edition, set to take place from April 29 to May 5, 2025, in Malmö, Sweden.
A multinational collaboration between Palestine, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and France, the film tells the story of Sami, a 12-year-old boy, who takes us on an exciting adventure that spans an entire day and night in the company of his uncle, and the uncle’s daughter, who is two years older than him, in search of a missing bird: a homing pigeon that Sami believes has flown back to its home of origin.
Previously, Passing Dreams premiered as the opening film of the 45th Cairo International Film Festival. Its screening at Royal Cinema in Malmö on April 29, 2025, will be attended by the director and members of the film’s team.
Director Rashid Masharawi expressed his happiness at the selection, emphasizing the importance of showcasing films that reflect the Palestinian reality and portray its identity, culture and history—especially in these critical times.
Mouhamad Keblawi, founder and Executive Chairman of Malmö Arab Film Festival, highlighted that choosing Passing Dreams as the opening film aligns with the festival’s ongoing commitment to fostering cinematic collaborations between Swedish and Arab filmmakers—one of its core missions since its inception. The film received production support from the Swedish Film Institute and was developed in partnership with Film i Skåne. Additionally, it involved collaboration with Kinana Films, founded by Basel Mawlawi, and featured contributions from artists and technicians from both Sweden and the Arab world.
Masharawi, a renowned Palestinian filmmaker, has spent decades creating films that depict daily life in Palestine with a touch of irony. In 1996, he established the Cinema Production and Distribution Center (CPC) in Ramallah, dedicated to training young Palestinian filmmakers and developing Palestinian cinema.
