The story, written by Gamal and Mazen Refaat, centres on Ahmed, Isra’a and their three children in Aden, Yemen in 2019.
Amr Gamal’s Yemeni film The Burdened (Al Murhaqoon) has won the Amnesty International Film Award — which comes with a cash prize of €5,000 — during the Independent Juries Award Ceremony that was held as part of the activities of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).
The film’s crew was present at the ceremony, including the director, who received the award. The Berlinale also announced on the same day that The Burdened placed second in the running for the Panorama Section’s Audience Award, which Gamal will be honoured for in a second ceremony that will be held on February 26.
After receiving the award, Gamal said: “I am truly humbled by the audience’s positive reception to the film. The Burdened was a labour of love, dedication, and persistence to shed light on one story of many in a country under fire. I’m glad that the audiences at the Berlinale felt like we did it justice. We certainly did our best.”
The Burdened — the first Yemeni film to play in the official selection of the Berlinale — 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.
After the mother discovers she is carrying a fourth child, the beleaguered parents try to get an abortion despite their community’s conservative stance, forcing the family to make tough decisions to survive.
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 handling international sales.
The Burdened is co-produced by Mohsen Alkhalifi, Mohammed Alomda, and Amjad Abu Alala.
