The Iraq International Film Festival for Youth Films serves as a platform for emerging filmmakers, bringing powerful stories to audiences in Baghdad and beyond.
MAD Solutions has selected 19 short films from its distribution slate to participate in the first edition of the Iraq International Film Festival for Youth Films, taking place in Baghdad from February 19 to 22. The lineup includes a diverse mix of dramas, thrillers and social comedies that highlight storytelling from across the Arab world, with films from Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Sudan, Algeria and Tunisia.
Among the selected titles is A Promise to the Sea by Hend Sohail, which follows Zein, a man who impulsively steals his mother’s corpse during her funeral preparations. As he flees his hometown, an encounter on the highway alters his fate forever. Born a Celebrity by Luay Awwad tells the story of Kamel, a young Palestinian who feels trapped in his small town and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and independence. Sudan’s 2018 revolution serves as the backdrop for Yasser Faiz’s Bougainvillea, which follows six women imprisoned during the uprising.
Palestinian director Moatasem Taha presents In the Waiting Room, which centres on Hussein, a Palestinian Arab with Israeli citizenship, as he accompanies his grieving mother to a hospital appointment. While they wait, she attempts to engage with the other patients despite her limited Hebrew. Madonna by John Fareed Zaki follows the theft of an Italian painter’s artefact, which reignites an old conflict between two Jesuit priests, leading to a complex investigation.
Other films in the lineup explore themes of displacement, history and human resilience. Rami Al-Kassab’s Loss, based on true events, follows a group of migrants travelling through the Egyptian desert, only to experience a devastating loss along the way. Nya by Imene Ayadi is set during the Algerian Civil War and follows a young girl awaiting her father’s return while her country is torn apart by conflict. Vibrations from Gaza by Rehab Nazzal offers a rare glimpse into the lives of deaf children in Gaza, capturing their experiences under occupation through their unique perspectives.
Amani Jaafer’s A Lullaby Unlike Any Other follows a Palestinian student in Sweden as she walks through Stockholm, haunted by memories of home, family, and the trauma of occupation. Meanwhile, Mohammad Gotta’s Where Have You Been? tells the story of a young artist who isolates himself in his studio apartment but forms an unexpected bond with an elderly neighbour who has been abandoned by her family.
Family ties and personal struggles take centre stage in One Last Wish by Areeb Zuaiter, which follows Serine as she embarks on a journey to reunite with her ailing grandmother. Hussen Ibraheem’s Manity captures the experience of an 11-year-old boy on a bird-hunting trip in the Lebanese mountains, which turns into an unforgettable adventure. Palestine Islands by Nour Ben Salem and Julien Menanteau follows a young refugee girl who devises an elaborate ruse to make her blind grandfather believe the separation wall has fallen, restoring his hope of returning home.
Saudi filmmaker Hayder Dawood presents The Last Winter, which follows Mohsen as he reunites with his friend Hayder in Sweden, reflecting on their shared homeland. Hussein Hijazi’s Legacy tells the story of Rabih, a man racing against time to secure urgent medical care for his father in a country where corruption has drained citizens’ savings.
Identity and self-perception are explored in In Between by Ethar Baamer, where a young woman grapples with societal expectations and experiments with different versions of herself. In 1420 by Arwa Salem, the lives of a visually impaired woman and an extremist man intertwine, shaping the future of their daughter. The Poem We Sang by Annie Sakkab revisits the nearly lost Palestinian anthem We Are a Proud Nation, preserving its legacy of resistance and pride.
Closing the lineup is By the Sea by Wisam Al-Jafari, which follows Nahid as she attempts to celebrate her husband’s birthday while he is on the run from Israeli soldiers, facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
