release date May 11 2020
MAD Solutions Boasts Six Films to Spread Hope in Tunisians Prisons
MAD Solutions will screen six films as part of “Hope” program by Anhar Network For Human Right Films, in the light of spreading cultural awareness in Tunisian prisons and rehabilitation centers. The films will screen throughout May at 10:00 PM.
The Tower by Mats Grorud and Five-O’ clock by Ayman Al-Shatri will screen on May 12 at The Delinquent Children Reform Center in the region of Sidi El Hani, Sousse Governorate, while on May 15 Abraham film by Ali Kareem Obaid and A Drowning Man by Mahdi Fleifel will screen at the Civil prison in Mornag state Ben Arous. In addition, on May 19 Astra film by Nidhal Guiga and Lollipop by Hanaa Saleh Alfassi will screen at Child Reform Center in Souk El-Jadid, Sidi Bouzid Province and on May 21, five O'clock will screen at Civil prison in Mahdia, the state of Mahdia.
ANHAR: The Arab Network for Human Rights Film Festivals is a platform that empowers partnership between Film Festivals and activists in the field of Human Rights Films in the region. Anhar encourages collaboration and exchange in the field of human rights filmmaking and screening in the Arab world.
The Tower:
Written and directed by Mats Grorud, the animated film, The Tower, features the voices of, Mohamed Bakri, Morad Hassan, Mouna Hawa and Darina Al Joundi the film is a French- Swedish-Norwegian co-production that is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions. The film follows Wardi, an eleven-year-old girl, who lives in a Palestinian refugee camp. She learns about her family's history through stories told to her by three earlier generations of refugees.
The Tower received seven awards from many international film festivals including; the Liv Ullmann Peace Prize and the Professional Jury: 2nd Prize for Best Animated Film at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival; Additionally, the film took part in Cairo International Film Festival, Marrakech International Film Festival, London Palestine Film Festival, Palestine Cinema Days, Arab Film Festival in Famac, France and Annecy International Animated Film Festival.
Five-O'clock
Five O'clock tells the story of a suicidal man who intends to carry out a terrorist attack by blowing himself in the middle of a crowd using an explosive belt, as he believes that non-Muslims are unworthy of life and they deserve to die. Despite being brainwashed, he begins to think, search and wonder if all idiots really deserve to die, and will he be granted eternal life in paradise after doing so?
The film took part in the Dubai International Film Festival, the 4th edition of Palestine Cinema Days, Sudan Independent Film Festival and Beirut International Film Festival. Moreover, it received Special Mention at Malmo Arab Film Festival in Sweden and won the Second Award for films at Qumara International Film Festival.
Directed by Ayman Al-Shatri, who also co-wrote it with Ameer Ihsan, Five O'Clock stars Karam Thamer, Safa Najem, and Karrar Al Mahdi. MAD Solutions will handle the distribution of the film across the Arab world.
Abraham:
Set against the backdrop of ISIS' imposition of the "jizya" or tax on non-Muslims in its territories, a Christian family devises a plan to protect its only daughter. However, their "perfect" solution might end up having more tragic consequences than intended.
Written and directed by Iraqi filmmaker Ali Kareem Obaid, Abraham stars Sara El Debuçh, Mohamed Zouaoui, Basil Al Ali, Faisal Dasser and Wolf Layban. The film is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.
A Drowning Man:
Alone and far from home, The Kid makes his way through a strange city looking for the means to get through his day. Surrounded by predators he is forced to make compromises merely to survive, his life of exile grows one day longer.
The film was the only Arab participation in the Short Films Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It also took part in the Short Cuts Competition at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Written and directed by Mahdi Fleifel, A Drowning Man stars Atef Alshafei, Jalal Qaniry, Mounir Alkhateeb, Rebih El-Saleous, and Thymios Koukios. A co-production between Denmark, UK and Greece, the film is produced by Final Cut for Real, Nakba Film Works, and distributed by MAD Solutions in the Arab world, while Salaud Morisset is handling the film's world sales.
Astra:
Astra follows Dali, who takes care of his daughter Douja who has Down Syndrome. One day and against his wife's advice, Dali takes Douha to an amusement park called Astra. In this park, a bizarre world is revealed to them.
Astra made its world premiere at the 14th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), where it competed in the Muhr Short competition. It also won the Bronze Tanit Award at the Carthage Film Festival in its premiere in its homeland of Tunisia.
Written and directed by Nidhal Guiga, Astra stars Nejib Belkadhi, Douja Boukhriss, Nour Mkaouer, Yasmine Ben Mahmoud and Nidhal Guiga. The film is produced by Dora Bouchoucha (Nomadis Images), Imed Marzouk (Propaganda Productions) and Omar Ben Ali (SVP) with the support of the Centre national du Cinéma et de l'image Animée (CNC) and the Ministry of Culture - Tunisia. MAD Solutions handles the film's distribution in the Arab world.
Lollipop:
Lollipop follows the story of a 14-year-old Muslim girl who experiences the onset of puberty, meaning she must begin wearing a full black niqab. When her tormentor at school swipes her jacket, a case of mistaken identity exposes the perversity of the bully's father.
The film landed its world premiere at the 14th Dubai International Film Festival within the Short Muhr Competition. Additionally, it competed in several other festivals which are: the Arab Film Festival at Cinetopia in USA, the 15th edition of the Festimaj International School Film Festival in France, the Festival des Cinémas Arabes à Paris, the Oran International Arabic Film Festival and Karama Human Rights Film Festival in Jordan.
Lollipop is directed by Hanaa Saleh Alfassi and stars Malak Radwan, Ayman Samman, and Sarah Alhazmi. The film is produced by Hanaa Saleh Alfassi, Shannon Emigh, Co-founder of Axe Pictures (USA), alongside Alex Lampsos and Malika Frikouk, Executive Producer and Co-founder of the Moroccan branch of the company. The film was partly funded by Enjaaz, Dubai Film Market's production support programme, and is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.
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