Palestinian short A LULLABY UNLIKE ANY OTHER to world premiere at International Amity Short Film Festival

release date October 03 2024

Amani Jaafer’s latest short film A LULLABY UNLIKE ANY OTHER is set to world premiere at the sixth International Amity Short Film Festival in Turkey, running from October 3rd to the 6th.

The film is screening four times throughout the festival, with the first being held at 2 pm on October 3rd, the second at 5 pm on October 4th, third at 6 pm on October 5th as part of the Short Films Sending Peace to Palestine 2 Program, and the fourth at 6 pm on October 6th.

Notably, the film has been selected for over 20 festivals worldwide.

What does it mean to be separated by seas, as atrocities against your homeland and loved ones continue to mount? These are the questions Jaafer poses in this experimental Swedish-Tunisian co-production, touching upon the importance of holding onto effigies of family and hope, amidst an overwhelming sense of chaos, dread, and powerlessness.

A LULLABY UNLIKE ANY OTHER follows Nour, a young Palestinian woman pursuing her studies in Sweden. She wanders the streets of Stockholm, retracing the steps of her life thus far; reminiscing over the trauma inflicted by the occupation, the memories of her family, and a lullaby long since lost. A melancholic exploration of Palestinian diasporic identity, it is notably an unscripted and improvised project.

Speaking on the featurette, director Amani Jaafer stated, “It is a reaction to the pain felt during the first weeks of the 2023 genocide in Gaza. As a young woman who left her family to live abroad and finish her doctoral studies, I tried to put myself in the shoes of a Palestinian girl who wanted to study abroad like many others her age, only to find herself overwhelmed by concern for the safety of her family and loved ones”.

Amani Jaafer is a Tunisian artist and scientist based in Stockholm, whose directorial debut, JE TE FERAI UN FILM, screened at more than 15 festivals worldwide, winning several awards, including the Best Short Crystal Pine at the International Sound & Film Music Festival.