The lineup includes 'The Voice of Hind Rajab', 'Palestine 36' and 'Promised Sky'.
Three films represented by MAD Solutions are set to screen at the American Film Institute’s Festival (AFI FEST) in Los Angeles, running from October 22 to 26. The lineup includes The Voice of Hind Rajab by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, Palestine 36 by Annemarie Jacir and Promised Sky by Tunisian filmmaker Erige Sehiri, each representing some of the most powerful storytelling from the Arab world this year.
The Voice of Hind Rajab, Tunisia’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards, is a docudrama based on the harrowing true story of a six-year-old girl from Gaza who was killed by Israeli forces. On January 29, 2024, Red Crescent volunteers received an emergency call from Hind Rajab, who was trapped in a car under fire. The film reconstructs the tragedy using real audio recordings of Rajab and the rescuers who tried to reach her.
A Tunisian-French co-production, the film is executive produced by Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara and Alfonso Cuarón. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won multiple honours, including the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, UNICEF Award, Edipo Re Award, Arca Cinema Giovani Award and the CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award, and received a 20-minute standing ovation, the longest in the festival’s history. Since then, it has screened at major international festivals in Toronto, Chicago, San Sebastián, London, Cairo, Rio de Janeiro and Doha. The film will be shown at AFI FEST on October 25 at 6:45 p.m. in Chinese 6 Hall.
Also screening is Palestine 36, Annemarie Jacir’s sweeping historical drama set in 1936 Mandate Palestine during a period of uprising against British colonial rule. As Jewish refugees fleeing fascism in Europe began arriving in large numbers, Palestinians found themselves battling oppression in their homeland, a moment that would reshape the British Empire and the Middle East. The film premiered at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival to a standing ovation and is expected to be Palestine’s submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards.
Featuring a remarkable cast that includes Hiam Abbass, Kamel El Basha, Saleh Bakri, Yasmine Al-Massri, Jeremy Irons, Dhafer L’Abidine, Liam Cunningham, Robert Aramayo and debut actors Yafa Bakri and Karim Daoud Anaya, the film is produced by Ossama Bawardi and Azzam Fakhrildin alongside an international team of co-producers. With cinematography by Hélène Louvart and a score by Ben Frost, Palestine 36 will screen on October 25 at 2:30 p.m. in Chinese Hall 3, followed by a Q&A with Jacir.
Jacir described the film as “a story about people caught in circumstances they never chose, facing something far greater than themselves. Making Palestine 36 was the most challenging experience of my life, created in a year marked by loss and defiance, but made with immense love and collaboration.”
Completing MAD’s AFI lineup is Promised Sky, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section. Directed by Erige Sehiri, the film explores sisterhood and resilience through the intertwined lives of three women in Tunisia: Marie, an Ivorian pastor and former journalist; Naney, a young mother seeking a better life; and Jolie, a determined student. When an orphaned girl enters their lives, their solidarity is tested amid growing social tensions.
Following its Cannes debut, Promised Sky won Best Director, Best Actress (Deborah Naney) and Best Screenplay at France’s Festival du Film Francophone d’Angoulême. The film stars Aïssa Maïga, Laetitia Ky, Deborah Naney and Mohamed Grayaa, with production by Didar Domehri and cinematography by Frida Marzouk, known for her work on Under the Fig Trees, Black Swan and the John Wick series.
