Palestinian short UPSHOT takes GFF by storm

release date October 30 2024

Maha Haj’s moving Palestinian short film UPSHOT has garnered immense praise from both critics and audiences, captivating viewers during its Arab World premiere at the seventh edition of the El Gouna Film Festival (GFF), which is running from October 24th to November 1st.

Now competing in the GFF’s Short Film Competition, UPSHOT has left a lasting impression on the festival's audience, who were quick to shower it with thunderous applause and copious amounts of praise for its powerful storytelling.

Set against the backdrop of Gaza's enduring strife, UPSHOT is a gripping drama that tells the story of Suleiman and Lubna, a couple who retreat to a mist-shrouded, isolated farm as they try to cope with unspeakable loss.

Through the alchemy of storytelling, Suleiman and Lubna conjure a parallel reality free of their pain in which their lives unfold in vivid detail. But when a journalist intrudes upon their sanctuary, wielding the blunt force of truth, the fragile illusion they've constructed threatens to unravel.

Among the rave reviews the film received was the one for Egyptian film critic Tarek El Shennawi, who said, “This film conveyed a great deal without using words or direct imagery related to the Palestinian issue. The emotions and concepts gradually seeped into the audience's awareness, not through explicit dialogue or overt scenes, but in a manner that resonates more deeply and expresses more without relying on violence or bloodshed to discuss such a topic.”

Meanwhile, renowned Egyptian actor Karim Kassem echoed this sentiment, calling the film “extremely powerful and deeply humane, reflecting the current events and the ongoing loss,” and recommending the film for everyone to watch it.

Screenwriter and producer Mohamed El Adl also made sure to state his admiration for Haj’s artistry, stating: “I commend director and writer Maha Haj for her outstanding work on this film. The cinematographer and the stunning location also deserve recognition. They addressed the issue without loudness. It's a true masterpiece. I thank the El Gouna Film Festival for bringing us this film.”

Adding an emotional touch, Jordanian actress and singer Hasnaa Saif Aldeen also remarked that the film was so great it made her cry.

This exciting news comes hot on the heels of the film’s successful world premiere at the 77th Locarno Film Festival where it walked home with the Pardino d’Oro Swiss Life for Best Auteur Short Film Award and the Junior Jury Award for the Best Auteur Short Film.

UPSHOT features a starry cast headlined by Mohammed Bakri — who received numerous awards for his works, including the Career Achievement Award at the El Gouna Film Festival and Berlinale’s Free Speech Bear Award — alongside Areen Omari, and Amer Hlehel. The film is lensed by Augustin Bonnet and edited by Veronique Lange, with production design handled by Saher Dwairy.

A joint production between Palestine, Italy, and France, the film is produced by Ramallah-based company August Films with Hanna Atallah and Ronza Kamel — the two of which are also co-producing THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US, which is in post-production with MAD World handling worldwide sales while MAD Distribution managing distribution in all Arabic-speaking territories.

Maha Haj is a filmmaker with a diverse background in English and Arabic literature who made her directorial debut with the short film ORANGES followed by the poignant documentary BEHIND THESE WALLS.

Her first foray into feature filmmaking, however, came in 2015 with PERSONAL AFFAIRS — a critically acclaimed work that was selected for the 69th Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. Her last feature, MEDITERRANEAN FEVER, won the Best Screenplay Prize in the 75th Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard and was selected to represent Palestine in the 94th Academy Awards’ Best International Feature race.