Life Is Beautiful
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A moving first-person account of filmmaker Mohamed Jabaly’s seven-year fight to return to his home in Palestine following a Norwegian study trip, which won him the Best Director Award at IDFA.
In 2014, Jabaly – a Gazan filmmaker in his twenties – travels to Tromsø as part of an exchange program. Set to be there for a month, he tours the region talking about his work and joyfully experiencing the snow. But then Egypt’s Rafah border-crossing closes unexpectedly and he is stuck, unable to return home. Ever-resilient, Jabaly candidly documents his years-long exile – the visa struggles, community support and filmmaking endeavours – and deep longing for home and family. The result, Life is Beautiful, is a powerful condemnation of the fallout from war and conflict.
Limited seats are available for patrons requiring access for wheelchairs, low vision and hearing loop. Please contact our ticketing team directly on 1300 733 733 or tickets@sff.org.au to complete your booking.
- Program Strand
- International Documentaries
- Original Title
- AL HAYA HELWA
- Year
- 2023
- Classification
- All Ages
- Country
- Norway, Palestine, Qatar
- Language
- In Arabic, English and Norwegian with English subtitles
- Director
- Mohamed Jabaly
- Producer
- KriStine Ann Skaret, Sarah Winge-Sørensen
- Cinematographer
- Mohamed Jabaly
- Editor
- Erland Edenhold
- Premiere
- Australian Premiere
- Genre
- Documentary, Politics & Economics, Human Rights, Middle East
- Company Credits
- Festival Contact: Norwegian Film Institute
- Official Website
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