Duraie’s film will be the third Jordanian film to be selected by the VIFF after the feature-length narrative "Theeb" by Naji Abu Nuwar and the short film "In Extra Time" by Rami Yasin.
The Jordanian short film Give Up the Ghost by Director Zain Duraie will be competing in the Orizzonti section for short films at the 76th Venice International Film Festival.
The short film received a production grant from the Jordan Film Fund (JFF) in 2018, according to a Royal Film Commission (RFC) statement.
The JFF has grants for feature-length narratives and documentaries in the phases of development, production or post-production, as well as for short films and TV series development, the statement said.
This film deals with a complicated subject. Not only does it approach domestic violence but also tests the limits of how far a woman constrained with social boundaries would go to fight for her basic human rights.
Commenting on the selection of her film, Duraie said: “Human actions depending on external, judgmental forces can destroy your inner peace; but what if we stand for what we believe in, to become leaders and not followers to what society wants to make of us? What if we already have the key to our cage in our pockets?”
“I am so happy and proud that the world premiere will be at Venice International Film.”
Duraie’s film will be the third Jordanian film to be selected by the VIFF after the feature-length narrative Theeb by Naji Abu Nuwar and the short film In Extra Time by Rami Yasin.
The Orizzonti section of the festival is an “international competition dedicated to films that represent the latest aesthetic and expressive trends in international cinema”, as per the festival website.
Seven Arab films are participating in the 76th edition of the Venice International Film Festival, which started last Wednesday and will end on September 7.
The Tunisian film Bik Eneich by Writer and Director Mehdi Barsaoui is also competing in the Orizzonti section. The Sudanese film You Will Die at 20, which is the first feature-length film for its Director Amjad Abu Alaa and was written by Yousef Ibraheem, will also have its world premiere in Venice.
