Dhafer L'Abidine
In 2021, Dhafer L’ABIDINE directed his first feature film Ghodwa, which he co-wrote, starred in and produced it through his company Double A Productions. Ghodwa premiered at the Cairo International Film Festival and won the FIPRESCI award for best film. To My Son is his second feature film which he also co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in.
As an actor Dhafer has enjoyed a successful career in the West and in the Middle East. He started his acting career in the UK and has appeared in numerous international film productions such as Children of Men, Sex and the City 2 and Centurion. On the small screen he can be seen in the Netflix French-speaking series The Eddy, produced and directed by Oscar-winning director Damien CHAZELLE. In the Arab world, Dhafer won ‘Best Actor’ awards for his roles in the two Egyptian series Eugenie Nights and Halawat Al Dounia. His latest role in the hugely successful MBC series Aroos Beirut brought him more critical and public acclaim across the Arab world.
Other movies
NIGHT OF THE ZOOPOCALYPSE
Director: Ricardo Curtis
When a meteor crashes into Colepepper Zoo, it releases a virus that turns infected animals into slavering zombies. The few remaining unaffected must band together to escape the virus, find a cure and - most importantly - defeat the Bunny King, a mad mutant beast who wants to spread the virus beyond the zoo to animals everywhere. Young wolf Gracie teams up with mountain lion Dan to find and warn her pack; Xavier, the movie-obsessed lemur; Frida, the fiery capybara; ostrich Ash and the untrustworthy monkey Felix make up the rest of the squabbling, motley crew. A colourful tale with echoes of the recent global pandemic, the Zoopocalypse is a treat for adult animation buffs as much as children.
ZERO
Director: Jean Luc Herbulot
In the bustling heart of Dakar, Senegal, two white Americans wake to a nightmare: bombs strapped to their chests, and they only have ten hours before they explode. With no idea who’s behind it, their only hope for survival is to listen to the instructions of a mysterious voice on the phone, forcing them to complete a series of bizarre and perilous tasks across the city. As they race against time in this twisted scavenger hunt, the vibrant streets of Dakar become a high-stakes labyrinth of survival. Darkly thrilling and filled with unexpected political commentary on colonialism and African society, this tense and exciting pulse-pounding thriller keeps you guessing until the very last second—because in this world, every move counts.
SONGS OF ADAM
Director: Oday Rasheed
The year is 1946. Under the strict orders of their father, Adam drags his younger brother Ali to witness their grandfather's corpse get washed before burial. Their cousin Iman, their constant playmate, is excluded from the ritual because she is a girl. The sight of the corpse has a profound effect on Adam; he announces that he doesn’t want to grow up and, from that moment on, he stops aging. As the years pass, the villagers come to believe Adam is cursed, while his brother, grappling with his own aging, feels Adam should be institutionalized. Only Iman and Anki, a shepherd and Adam’s lifelong best friend, see his condition as a blessing, preserving in him the pure, innocent goodness of a child. A haunting and beautiful story set against the oases and dust storms of Iraq.
