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I Am the One Who Brings Flowers to Her Grave (Ana Alati Tahmol Azouhour Ila Qabriha), by Hala al-Abdallah and ‘Ammar el-Beik. Syria/France, 2006, 110 min, MiniDV, NY Premiere
Conceived as a summation of life’s postponed projects, this beautifully shot black-and-white film is a monument to humankind’s great resilience and love of life in the face of loss, exile and death. Interviews with three Syrian women living in exile alternate with various footage: the desolate island of Arwad; paintings by the filmmaker’s husband; the husband’s emotional return to Syria to see his mother after 24 years; and an interview with painter and icon restorer Elias Zayat. Part documentary, part fable, this is a well-crafted, highly emotional tribute to the rejuvenating power of poetry and beauty in general, and in particular to Daad Haddad, a Syrian poet disappeared in 1991.
Mon, Nov 12, 4:30 P.M. Q&A with director Hala al-Abdallah
This screening is sponsored by:
Filmmaker's Biography
Born in the city of Hama in 1956, Hala al-Abdallah Yakoub graduated in 1978 from the University of Damascus with a degree in agricultural engineering. She earned another degree in anthropology at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris in 1984 and a degree in film studies from Université Paris VIII in 1989. Her career began working as assistant director to Oussama Mohammad for Stars in Broad Daylight (Nujum al-Nahar, 1988), and Mohammad Malas for The Night (al-Leyl, 1992). As the general director of Ramad Films, a production company based in France and headed by Omar Amiralay, she has also been the executive producer of a good number of films he directed. She has worked with many French and Lebanese filmmakers as well. I Am the One Who Brings Flowers to Her Grave is her directorial debut.
Ammar el-Beik was born in Damascus. In 1990, he enrolled at the School for Business Administration at the University of Damascus, but left the program and went to work at Studio Haig, which specializes in the repair of cameras for still photography and cinema. He also began to work with photography and participated in numerous exhibitions and competitions worldwide. He produced his first video, Light Harvest (Hasad el-Nur) in 1997, it was followed by a number of shorts, including They Were Here (Innahum Kanu Huna, 2000), Boulevard al-Assad (2001), 16mm (2002), When I Color my Fish (Ulawwen Samakati, 2002) and in 2003 he directed his first full-length work, an experimental documentary titled Clapper (Clakette). El-Beik’s short filmography has earned him a few awards: They Were Here received the jury prize at Egypt’s Ismailia International Festival, and When I Color My Fish received the jury prize at the Brisbane International Film Festival.
Festivals and Awards
- Venice International Film Festival, Doc/It Prize, 2006
- Beirut International Film Festival, 2006
- São Paulo International Film Festival, 2006
- CPH:DOX, Copenhagen International Documentary Festival, 2006
- Carthage Film Festival, 2006
- Festival del Cinema Spirituale, Rome, 2006
- Festival des 3 Continents, Nantes, 2006
- Dubai International Film Festival, Bronze Muhr for Documentaries, 2006
- Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival (FICCO), 2007
- Cinéma Tout Écran Festival International du Film et de la Télévision, Geneva, 2007
- Festival International du Cinéma Mediterrenéen de Tétouan, Le Grand Prix du Documentaire, 2007
- Med-Screen European Film Market at the Berlinale, 2007
- Doc à Tunis, 2007
- Augsburg Film Festival, 2007
- Singapore International Film Festival, 2007
- Arab Film Festival Rotterdam, Golden Hawk Award, 2007
- Rodos Ecofilms, 2007
- Festival Internaional du Documentaire de Marseille, 2007
- Locarno International Film Festival, Open Doors, 2007
- Corsica.doc, Rencontres du Cinéma Documentaire d’Ajaccio, 2007
- Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, 2007
Credits
Cast: Fadia Ladkani, Rola Roukbi, Raghida Assaf, Youssef Abdelke, Nazih Abouafach, Fekrya Miro
Writer: Hala al-Abdallah
Producers: Hala al-Abdallah, ‘Ammar el-Beik
Cinematographers: Hala al-Abdallah, ‘Ammar el-Beik
Editors: Hala al-Abdallah, ‘Ammar el-Beik
Music: Marcel Khalifé
Print Source
Hala Alabdalla
Email: ala.cine@wanadoo.fr
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