FAST FORWARD 2025 / Projections:
14/12/2025 / 20h00 / Montenegrin Cinematheque / Podgorica
Mahdi Fleifel / UK, Greece, Denmark, Netherlands, Occupied Palestinian Territory, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Qatar / 2024 / 108’
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Screenplay: Mahdi Fleifel, Fyzal Boulifa, Jason McColgan
Producers: Geoff Arbourne, Mahdi Fleifel, Maria Drandaki, Layla Meijman, Maarten van der Ven, François Morisset
Main Cast: Mahmood Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Angeliki Papoulia, Mohammad Alsurafa, Mondher Rayahneh
Director of Photography: Thodoris (Theodoros) Mihopoulos
Editing: Halim Sabbagh
Music: Nadah El Shazly
Production Design: Ioanna Soulele
Costume Design: Konstantina Mardiki
Production: Inside Out Films, Nakba FilmWorks, Salaud Morisset, Homemade Films, Studio Ruba
Countries: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Netherlands, Greece, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Occupied Palestinian Territory
Year: 2024
Runtime: 108’
SYNOPSIS
Chatila and Reda are Palestinian refugees living in Athens, on the very margins of society. They are saving money to pay for forged passports and escape the city, but when Reda loses their hard-earned savings because of his addiction, Chatila devises an extreme plan. Her idea involves kidnapping and extortion, a desperate attempt to get enough money so they can finally break out of their hopeless situation before it is too late.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mahdi Fleifel is a Palestinian-Danish film director. He was born in Dubai and spent his childhood in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon before moving to Denmark. He studied film at the National Film and Television School in the United Kingdom. His most acclaimed works include the feature documentary A World Not Ours and the short films Xenos, A Man Returned and A Drowning Man. His films explore themes of identity, migration, exile and the everyday lives of the Palestinian diaspora, often combining personal experience with a strong documentary approach. Fleifel currently works between Denmark, the UK and Greece, focusing on stories from the Middle East and from marginalized communities.
FESTIVALS AND AWARDS
- Cannes – Quinzaine des Cinéastes, 2024 – world premiere (Directors’ Fortnight selection)
- Filmfest München, 2024 – CineCoPro Award
- Galway Film Fleadh, 2024 – Best Film – World Cinema Competition
- Taormina Film Fest, 2024 – Audience Award
- San Sebastián IFF, 2024 – Zabaltegi-Tabakalera
- BFI London Film Festival, 2024 – First Feature Competition
- Cinemed Montpellier, 2024 – Golden Antigone – Best Film
- Thessaloniki IFF, 2024 – Best Actor (Mahmood Bakri) and Audience Award
- Red Sea IFF, 2024 – Silver Yusr – Best Feature Film and Best Actor (Mahmoud Bakri)
- Premiers Plans Angers, 2025 – Grand Prix du Jury – Best Film