release date January 12 2023
Maysoon Pachachi's OUR RIVER… OUR SKY to get a theatrical release in Kuwait
Veteran documentary filmmaker Maysoon Pachachi's debut fiction feature OUR RIVER… OUR SKY is set to hold two theatrical screenings at Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center (JACC) — which is informally known as the Kuwait Opera House — in Kuwait.
 
The screenings will be held at 8 pm on Sunday, January 15th, and Tuesday, January 17th. This limited theatrical release follows the film's winning of Best Ensemble Performance at the 2022 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA), making it the only Arab film to win at the prestigious competition last year. 
 
Please visit this website to book your screening ticket:
https://tickets.jacc-kw.com/event/info/our-river--our-sky--iraq-2021-/342
 
The award was presented to the film's cast and crew on December 4th during a ceremony in London that was attended by Pachachi and cast members Darina Al-Joundi, Basim Hajar, Badia Obaid, Meriam Abbas, and the UK casting agent.
 
OUR RIVER... OUR SKY was nominated for two other BIFA awards, including Best Casting (Leila Bertrand) and Best Supporting Performance (Zainab Joda).
 
The JACC Theater Independent Cinema Project is a comprehensive cinema space that offers a monthly program of independent movies from around the world. The cinema will be an integral part of the theater project with the aim of serving as a cultural space promoting local, regional, and international arts of varying disciplines.
 
OUR RIVER… OUR SKY was well-received by audiences and critics alike since its first screening, with Lauren Miles from Film Stories writing: “Our River… Our Sky is a deeply affecting snapshot of the violence endured by the Iraqi people in 2006.” 
 
Meanwhile, Rob Aldam in Backseat Mafia said that “Our River… Our Sky is an impressive and humane drama. Maysoon Pachachi’s debut feature is warm-hearted, moving, and affords the viewer a glimpse of what it’s like to live in constant fear.”
 
The film was screened at the Doha Film Institute and claimed the Debut Film Special Jury Prize at the Meta Film Festival. Prior to that, it had its UK premiere during the 30th edition of the Raindance Film Festival.
 
After holding its world premiere at the Sarajevo Film Festival, OUR RIVER… OUR SKY was featured at highly anticipated screenings in the MENA region at the Cairo, Slemani, Amman, and Franco-Arab film festivals.
 
OUR RIVER… OUR SKY is an ensemble film of intersecting stories that take place in the last week of 2006 — between Christmas and New Year. It tells the stories of ordinary Iraqis trying to live their everyday lives amid unpredictable violence.
 
Shortly before the New Year, following the unexpected news of Saddam Hussein's execution, Sara and her neighbors brace themselves for an uncertain future while trying to sustain a fragile sense of hope.
 
The film was written by Maysoon Pachachi in collaboration with co-writer Irada Al-Jubori — a Baghdad-based author and produced by Kuwaiti producer Talal Al-Muhanna.
 
The international cast includes Iraqi actors based inside and outside of Iraq, including Basim Hajar (Sweden), Meriam Abbas, Ali El-Kareem (Germany), and renowned Iraq-based actor Mahmoud Abo Al-Abbas, along with London-based actors Zaydun Khalaf, Amed Hashimi, Labwa Arab, and Badia Obaid. Additionally, MAD Solutions is handling the film’s distribution rights in the Arab world.
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