Doha Film Institute is showcasing a programme of eight outstanding feature narrative and documentary films supported by the Institute, several of which garnered awards at international film festivals as part of Qumra Screenings, to be held from March 1 to 6.
Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: “Qumra Screenings provide a fantastic opportunity for film enthusiasts and the general public alike to discover some of the most powerful films in world cinema today. This year’s selection of films by accomplished filmmakers and emerging talents further reflects our commitment to nurturing independent voices in cinema and I am incredibly proud of the work of the rising talents that DFI supports both across the Middle East and internationally.”
The Qumra Screenings will be held at the Museum of Islamic Arts Auditorium. The selection includes:
Bye Bye Tiberias (Palestine, France, Belgium, Qatar/2023) directed by Lina Soualem narrates the story of Hiam Abbass, who leaves her native Palestinian village of Deir Hanna, Lower Galilee to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, leaving behind her mother, grandmother, and sisters. The film will be screened on March 1 at 7 PM.
Deserts (Morocco, France, Germany, Belgium, Qatar/2023) by Faouzi Bensaïdi is about two longtime friends, Mehdi and Hamid who work for a collection agency. Paid next to nothing for their work, the pair play hard to make ends meet. A meeting with a man handcuffed to a luggage track marks the beginning of an unforeseen and mystical journey. The film will be screened on March 1 at 9.30 PM.
A Fidai Film (Palestine, Germany, Qatar/2024) by Kamal Aljafari is set in the summer of 1982, when the Israeli army occupied Beirut, and raided the Palestinian Research Center, tearing it up and carting away its library containing 25,000 volumes on Palestine. This is a sabotage film which creates a counter-image in response to the looting of memories. The screening will be on March 2 at 7 PM.
Tiger Stripes (Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, France, Germany, Netherlands, Indonesia, Qatar/2023) by Amanda Nell Eu is a Malaysian body horror film about Zaffan, who is a rebellious and carefree girl until she starts to experience horrifying physical changes to her body. The film will screen on March 2 at 9.30 PM
Geology of Separation (Tunisia, France, Italy, Qatar/2023) by Yosr Gasmi and Mauro Mazzocchi travels through the dislocated territories of migration, those that detach desert from mountains, sky from earth, voices from bodies. The film will screen on March 3 at 7.30 PM.
Banel & Adama (France, Senegal, Mali, Qatar/2023) by Ramata-Toulaye Sy is set in a remote village of Northern Senegal and follows the lives of Banel and Adama who long for a home of their own. When Adama refuses his blood duty as future chief and informs the village council of his intentions, the whole community is disrupted and chaos ensues. The film will screen on March 4 at 7.30 PM.
About Dry Grasses (Turkey, France, Qatar/2023) was in the Official Selection, In Competition at the 76th Cannes Film Festival 2023. Directed by Qumra Master Nuri Bilge Ceylan, the film follows Samet, a young teacher, who is finishing his fourth year of compulsory service in a remote village in Anatolia. When events happen to him that he finds difficult to make sense of, he loses his hopes of escaping the grim life he seems to be stuck in. The screening is on March 5 at 7.30 PM.
The Mother of All Lies (Morocco, France, Qatar/2023) directed by Asmae El Moudir is a feature documentary investigating the secrets of a Casablanca family using different personal stories of each family member to ground historical events. The film will screen on March 6 at 7.30 PM.
A limited number of Qumra Passes will be available to the public for purchase on a first-come, first serve basis to attend all Masterclasses and Qumra Screenings in-person in Doha. Tickets to individual screenings and Masterclasses are also available at www.dohafilminstitute.com.