From left: Lea Najjar, Antoine Antabi, and Ali Asgari
Doha Film Institute-funded films that are among being shown at this year’s 10th Ajyal Film Festival Jury Experience are sending messages of hope, second chances and resilience.
These films include Until Tomorrow by Ali Asgari, Kash Kash — Without Feathers We Can’t Live by Lea Najjar, and Rest In Piece by Antoine Antabi.
In a press briefing held recently, The Peninsula asked directors of these films what is the main message of their films and how do they think the films will impact audience in the Arab world. Ali Asgari said his film Until Tomorrow is a story of resilience. “The film is not only about the government, but the society, about how we are living — so I think it will totally touch the Qatari and Middle Eastern audience.”
He explained that when it was screened in several countries, the reception was “really big and they get connected with the idea.”
Until Tomorrow (Iran, France, Qatar/2022) presents a compelling portrait of the millennial generation and how they are reexamining the value system in Iran and many other countries. Lea Najjar, speaking about her film Kash Kash – Without Feathers We Can’t Live, said although she wants everyone to have their own message of her film, the main point she is making is “to hold on to the things that bring you some moment of peace and joy in your life in order to survive. Like these guys, keep on playing whatever happens in the city. [We must] keep on doing what brings us joy.”
Kash Kash — Without Feathers We Can’t Live (Qatar, Lebanon, Germany/2022) is set in Beirut, and depicts a corrupt political elite, anti-government protests, and one of the biggest explosions of the 21st century.
Antoine Antabi said her film Rest In Peace carries a message to the Arab audience and to the world, which is “to keep looking for hope, for a new beginning, and to be always optimistic even when you have a very big loss, maybe a family, home, something very precious — life will go on, so we have to continue, we have to be strong, we need to be strong, otherwise we will collapse.”
“This is my main message because I do the same, I feel the same, I wanted to reflect my feeling through this protagonism, to always look for the good future,” he continued. Rest in Piece (Qatar, Syria, Germany, UAE/2022) is a beautifully crafted clay animation that shows us the courage and resilience of displaced people through the eyes of Midyan, who is forced to flee his war-torn home. The Ajyal Jury Experience will run until today, October 8. There are over 613 jurors from 50 countries who participated this year.
Aside from the special edition, they will also partake in the Ajyal Talks and Spotlight sessions, discussions on cinemas and critiquing the movies they watched.
