The film received post-production funding from the Cairo Film Connection and the Doha Film Fund.
Koutaiba Al-Janabi’s The Woodman screened for the first time in its homeland at the French Institute in Baghdad. The film’s writer and director Koutaiba Al-Janabi and producer Ali Raheem also attended the screening.
Previously, the film was screened at several international festivals, including the Arabisches Film Festival in Berlin, International Filmmaker Festival of New York, and Seville Independent Film Festival, where it received the Bronze Award in the Narrative Films Category. In the Arab world, it was screened at the Abdul-Hameed Shoman Foundation in Jordan.
The film project also received the Jury Prize at Cairo Film Connection (CFC) and was funded by the Doha Film Institute.
The plot — which is more of a fantasy — revolves around a human-sized wooden doll that is forced to flee its homeland. Along its journey, it crosses paths with several characters to reveal a true picture from the hearts and minds of all those compelled to flee their homelands.
Written, directed, produced, and shot by Koutaiba Al-Janabi, The Woodman stars Hanna Heffner and Mihaly Palko. Hugh Williams edited the film, Rana Eid managed the sound, and Nadim Mishlawi composed the music. Meanwhile, MAD Solutions is managing the film’s distribution in the Arab world.
Al-Janabi was born in Baghdad and studied photography and cinematography in Budapest, Hungary. He has worked as a producer and director on several television artworks. He wrote his PhD thesis on the aesthetics of Arabic cinema.
He directed the multi-award-winning feature documentary Stories of Passers Through, which was shot over 30 years and was featured in several prestigious international festivals worldwide.
