The film is based on true events that took place in Aden around 2019.
Yemeni film, The Burdened, which served as Yemen’s official submission for Best Foreign Film at the 96th Academy Awards, is set to participate in the 10th edition of the Saudi Film Festival.
From May 2 to 9, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture will be transformed into a film hub, hosting the Saudi Film Festival. Celebrating the art of cinema, the festival will showcase a diverse array of screenings and workshops, providing a platform for filmmakers from Saudi Arabia and the broader region to share their cinematic creations and passion for the medium.
This year’s festival will focus on the theme of science fiction, offering audiences a glimpse into the imaginative worlds of speculative storytelling. Additionally, there will be a special emphasis on Indian cinema, highlighting the rich cinematic heritage of India.
Organised by the Cinema Association in collaboration with Ithra, and with the support of the Saudi Ministry of Culture’s Film Commission, the festival has attracted more than 800 entries for its awards, underscoring its significance as a premier cinematic event in the region.
Directed and co-written by Amr Gamal alongside Mazen Refaat, lensed by Mrinal Desai, edited by Heba Othman, and co-produced by Amjad Abu Alala, The Burdened boasts a stellar cast featuring Khaled Hamdan, Abeer Mohammed, Samah Alamrani, and Awsam Abdulrahman.
The film is produced by Mohsen Alkhalifi and Amr Gamal at Adenium Productions, with co-production support from Amjad Abu Alala, Mohammed Alomda at Station Films, and the Red Sea International Film Festival.
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 managing its international sales.
The narrative of The Burdened, based on true events in Aden circa 2019, unfolds the challenges faced by a married couple and their three children after both lose their jobs due to the economic crisis gripping the country. The story takes a poignant turn when the mother discovers she is expecting a fourth child, prompting the family to grapple with conservative societal norms as they attempt to secure an abortion, ultimately making tough decisions for survival.
Following its world premiere at the Berlinale’s Panorama Section, where it became the first Yemeni film officially selected at the German festival, The Burdened achieved acclaim by winning the Amnesty International Film Award and the second-place Audience Award. The film continued its success by screening at prestigious film festivals worldwide, securing accolades such as the Best Screenplay Award at Durban, the Best Directing and Best Screenplay Jury Awards at Valencia, a Special Jury Award for Best Film at the Taipei Film Festival, and the Gold Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival.
The film embarked on a notable festival tour, participating in events like the Shanghai, Sydney, Beijing, Golden Apricot Yerevan, Cairo, Zurich, War On Screen, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Rio de Janeiro, and Bergen film festivals, in addition to competing at the Septimius Awards.
Amr Gamal, an independent Yemeni film and theatre director born in Poland in 1983, spearheads this cinematic venture.
