MAD Solutions handles the film’s distribution across the Arab World, while Elle Driver (France) handles the international sales.
Arabic streaming platform Shahid has released The Alleys, the debut feature film from Jordanian director Bassel Ghandour. The film is a multi-strand genre film, set in the claustrophobic neighbourhood of Jabal Al Natheef in East Amman.
Written and directed by Ghandour, The Alleys features Emad Azmi, Baraka Rahmani, Munther Rayahneh, Maisa Abd Elhadi, Nadira Omran and Nadim Rimawi. The film is produced by Bayt Al Shawareb (Yousef Abed Al-Nabi) and The Imaginarium Films (Rula Nasser), with co-production by Lagoonie Film Production (Shahinaz El Akkad). Distribution across the Arab world is managed by MAD Solutions, while international sales are handled by Elle Driver (France).
Set in the perilous and gossip-ridden neighbourhood of East Amman, the story revolves around a young hustler determined to be with his secret lover, despite her ruthless mother’s disapproval. When an extortionist catches the couple in a compromising situation, the mother enlists a gangster to put an end to their affair, leading to unforeseen complications.
The Alleys has garnered several accolades, including the Works in Progress Post-Production Development Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in Czechia. It also received two awards at the Cairo Film Connection, the co-financing platform of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), and support from the Jordan Film Fund of the Royal Film Commission, the Doha Film Institute (Qatar) and the Red Sea International Film Festival (KSA). During its development, the film benefited from the EAVE Producers Workshop, Rawi Screenwriters Lab, Dubai Film Connection, and The Sorfond Pitching Forum, organised by the Norwegian South Film Fund.
The New York Times described the film and wrote: “Somewhere between a mafia movie and a comedy of errors, The Alleys turns all its characters into casualties of chance; every twist in this movie is unpredictable because every character is both morally dubious and somewhat idiotic.”
