DIRTY DIFFICULT DANGEROUS
Genre
Drama
Running time
83 minutes
Year
2021
Language
Arabic
Subtitle
English
Country
France, Italy, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Qatar
Director
Wissam Charaf
Bio
Producer
Charlotte Vincent, Katia Khazak, Pierre Sarraf
Cast
Clara Couturet, Ziad Jallad, Darina Al Joundi, Rifaat Tarabay
Scriptwriter
Wissam Charaf, Mariette Désert, Hala Dabaji
Deadpan humour may not be the first thing we associate with stories about doomed love or struggling refugees, but director Wissam Charaf’s second feature – winner of the Europa Cinemas Prize in Venice this year - is imbued with a wry sense of human absurdity. Ahmed (Ziad Jallad) fled from Syria to survive on the streets of Beirut by selling scrap metal. Mehdia (Clara Couturet) is Ethiopian, working as a housekeeper for an elderly middle-class couple who leave her in no doubt as to how expendable she is; nevertheless, she is a buoyant spirit, determined to find a better life together with Ali. Getting in the way of their love story is the legacy of an old war wound, a mysterious infestation of metal filings that Ali keeps shedding, turning him into a sickly version of the Tin Man. Funny and serious by unexpected turns, Charaf’s film is full of stylistic surprises.
This film is supported by the Red Sea Fund.
Other movies
THE FINALE
Director: Rodolphe Chedid
In a secluded Lebanese village, Amal and Naeem, married for 50 years, find their peaceful life marked by the absence of their children, who left during the war more than three decades ago. Feeling a profound void, Amal seeks to rekindle their connection and rediscover meaning by asking Naeem to write their life story. He reluctantly agrees, and they embark on an intimate journey through forgotten memories and unspoken truths. As they revisit their past, they confront the love they’ve built and the questions that have shaped their lives. Filmed with a unique and original cinematic language, this love story is a powerful testament to how film can beautifully convey emotions, memories and the intimate details that make life extraordinary.
ALL THAT'S LEFT OF YOU
Director: Cherien Dabis
This compelling family drama traces three generations of Palestinians from 1948-2022, revealing the profound impacts of the Nakba. The story begins in 1988 with Noor, a man who joins a protest that turns violent in the West Bank. Decades later his mother, Hanan, recounts her son’s story, starting with the 1948 expulsion of his grandfather from Jaffa. Amid the hardship, the family holds on to the hope of returning to their ancestral home. A love story between Hanan and her husband Salim serves as a beacon of light. Through intimate, moving performances, this film explores how trauma and heritage shape the bonds between a grandfather, a father and son, while filled with moments of joy, love and humor.
GIRL
Director: Shu Qi
Superstar Shu Qi, icon of Asian cinema and muse of Hou Hsiao-hsien, makes her directorial debut with this self-penned, deeply personal coming-of-age drama. In a cramped home ruled by abuse, young teenager Lin Xiaoli keeps her head down, caring for her little sister while her father’s drunken rages cascade into her mother’s cruelty. Everything shifts when she befriends Li Lili, a rebellious classmate who skips class, smokes and urges Xiaoli to challenge the family’s toxic status quo. As escape glimmers, Shu Qi films with poised restraint, observing at a remove and tuning the viewer to intimate, everyday textures with a quietly harrowing strength. Tender yet unsentimental, Girl finds fragile beauty amid hurt and announces a formidable new directorial voice.