The project brings together Yemen, Sudan and Saudi Arabia in a landmark co-production.
Durban International Film Festival will screen Amr Gamal’s Yemeni film The Burdened (Al Murhaqoon) at the 44th edition, which will return to Suncoast CineCentre after a three-year hiatus due to the National Lockdown.
Presented by the University of KwaZulu Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, the festival will showcase 90 films from 54 countries from July 20 to 30, 2023.
The Burdened is based on a true story set in Aden, Yemen. The film follows Ahmed, Isra’a, and their three children after they both lose their jobs as a result of an economic crisis.
After the mother discovers she is carrying a fourth child, the beleaguered parents try to get an abortion despite their community’s conservative stance, forcing the family to make tough decisions to survive.
The film is directed by Amr Gamal, who shares screenwriting credits with Mazen Refaat. The film stars Khaled Hamdan, Abeer Mohammed, Samah Alamrani, and Awsam Abdulrahman.
It also brings together Yemen, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia in a landmark co-production that was first brought to international attention at the 2022 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it earned the Works in Progress Post-Production Development Award in the festival’s industry sidebar, Eastern Promises.
MAD Solutions is managing the film’s distribution in the Arab world, while Films Boutique is handling international sales.
The Burdened is co-produced by Mohsen Alkhalifi, Mohammed Alomda, and Amjad Abu Alala.
