MAD Solutions Screens Five Films at the Beirut Women International Film Festival

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The Guest: Aleppo-Istanbul | El Jaida | Lilacs | The Borrowed Dress | Before We Heal

MAD Solutions Screens Five Films at the Beirut Women International Film Festival


Five films distributed by MAD Solutions will screen at the 2nd Beirut Women International Film Festival (BWFF) (March 10-15). The films include the features The Guest: Aleppo-Istanbul by Turkish director Andaç Haznederoğlu and El Jaida by Selma Baccar; the shorts Lilacs by Mira Shaib and Before We Heal by Nadim Hobeika; and the documentary The Borrowed Dress by Leen Alfaisal. The screening of The Borrowed Dress will witness the attendance of its director.

Beirut International Women Film Festival (BWFF)is an annual event held in Beirut, gathering filmmakers and cinema lovers from all over the world. BWFF tackles issues such as gender equality, sexual identity, and domestic violence, through the power of the lens and cinema which is the window on society and particularly women in this case.

About The Guest: Aleppo-Istanbul

Written and directed by Turkish director Andaç Haznederoğlu, The Guest: Aleppo-Istanbul stars Saba Mubarak and child Rawan Skeif, alongside a number of real Syrian refugees who are acting for the first time. The film is a co-production between the Turkish companies; Andaç Film Productions, Istanbul Digital (ID) and Istanbul Film Production (IFP); and the Jordanian company Pan East Media. The film project received financial support from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. MAD Solutions handles the film's distribution in the Arab world.

The Guest: Aleppo-Istanbul follows the journey of Lena and Meryem during their escape from the war in Syria. Lena is a ten-year-old girl who has lost her family in the war. She finds herself forced to make her way to Turkey with her baby sister and their neighbor Meryem, along with the other refugees. Lena wants to return home, while Meryem's hope is reach Europe.

Screening Times: Tuesday 12 March at 19:30 PM


About El Jaida

Directed by Selma Baccar, El Jaida stars Souhir Ben Amara, Mohamed Ali Ben Jemaa, Khaled Houissa and Najoua Zouhair. The film screened at several international film festivals, including the Carthage Film Festival (JCC), Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), and the Annaba Mediterranean Film Festival. El Jaida is distributed by MAD Solutions in the Arab world.

Set in 1954, four women meet at Dar Joued, a correction facility for women who disobey their husbands. Despite tough daily living conditions, they find hope and joy in their emerging friendship.

Screening Times: Monday 11 March at 10:00 PM

About Lilacs

A short film by Mira Shaib, Lilacs follows Hanna, a 34 years old woman, comes back to Lebanon from Germany where she lived with an abusive husband for 12 years. She is back to be next to her dying mother. Hanna goes on a journey for all of the Lebanon calendar's four seasons, to look for her twin brother Firas who got kidnapped in the Lebanese civil war. Her father fights her, no one helps her and the whole time she is fighting to overcome her depression. Devastated by the loss, Hanna continues her search after her mother passes away. The filmstars Wafa'a Celine Halawi, Faek Homaissi, Aida Sabra, Aliya Khalidi and Julian Farhat.

Lilacs is produced by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (Germany),and Fourth Wall Production (Jordan), through Producer Aya Nabulsi, with the support of Robert Bosch Stiftung (Germany). MAD Solutions handles the film's distribution in the Arab world.

Screening Times: Tuesday 12 March at 19:30 PM

About The Borrowed Dress

Grandmother Susu (80 years old), her daughter Doaa (50 years old), and her grandchild Saad (16 years old) are forced to flee Syria after the beginning of the revolution to live in different scattered places, with the one thing left to share being their desire to reunite. The details of their personal stories and human experiences are microcosms of two stories: one of a population that has spread all over the world, and the other of a homeland that might have changed forever.

Written and directed by Leen Alfaisal, The Borrowed Dress is produced by Sarah Hassan and Alaa Alassad (Creative Media Solutions). The film stars Siham Abu Nabbout, Doaa Al Zoabi and Saad Alkuwatly. The film is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.

Screening Times: Wednesday 13 March at 17:00 PM

About Before We Heal

Saleem and Raya meet at Raya's place. Saleem enters the toilet and somehow gets stuck. Between the inside and the outside, trials and disappointments, laughter and hope, memories and screams, are all being shared at the doorstep.

Written and directed by Nadim Hobeika, Before We Heal stars Yumna Marwan, Mohammad Bsat and Elie Njeim. The film's crew includes Cinematographer Céline Layous, Editor Nathalie Rbeiz, and Music Composer Jean Nassif. Before We Heal is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.

Screening Times: Thursday 14 March at 19:30 PM