Doha, Qatar: The films "The Teacher" and "Inshallah a Boy," backed by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) has garnered recognition at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film “The Teacher,” directed by Farah Nabulsi, has won the Best Actor award by Saleh Bakri at the Palme des Planges at the Marché du Film. This accolade comes shortly after Bakri’s win for Best Actor at the Malmo Arab Film Festival in Sweden.
Bakri’s portrayal of Basem El Saleh, a Palestinian school teacher struggling with the loss of his son, has earned widespread acclaim.
The film also received nominations in four categories at the said festival, including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Music, as announced by Nabulsi on her Instagram page. “Over 200 film critics from more than 70 countries participated in the festival’s Critics Awards for Arab Film,” she said.
“The Teacher” tells the story of Basem, who looks after two fatherless brothers, Adam and Yacoub, following his son’s death. Lisa, a new school volunteer, begins to bring new hope into Basem’s life as she takes an interest in the boys. Meanwhile, Israeli intelligence presents a proof-of-life video of a captured Israeli soldier to the soldier’s American parents, Simon and Rachel Cohen. Simon clashes with Director Liberman, who is responsible for finding his son, as a proposed exchange for over a thousand Palestinian prisoners reveals competing objectives.
After Yacoub is killed by a settler, Basem and Lisa become more invested in Adam’s wellbeing. However, when Adam learns that Basem is involved in concealing the soldier’s whereabouts, he seeks revenge. Basem refuses to help, leading Adam to take matters into his own hands. As Simon becomes desperate, and Lisa starts to uncover Basem’s hidden life, Basem must navigate his conflicting motives, his growing affection for Lisa, and his commitment to protect Adam.
“The Teacher” had its world premiere last year at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Nabulsi described the film as “an intense personal journey to tell a story that matters, about people suffering a deliberate ongoing cruel reality at a time when it couldn’t be more pertinent.” She highlighted the immense effort and collaboration required to bring the film to fruition over four years.
In addition to its success at Cannes, “The Teacher” has won several other awards this year alone, including the Audience Award at the 67th San Francisco International Film Festival, Washington, DC International Film Festival, Cyprus Film Days International Festival, and Oslo Arab Film Days.
Meanwhile, also DFI-funded film "Inshallah a Boy" by Amjad Al Rasheed received the Best Actress award for Mouna Hawa, and Best Cinematography for Kanamé Onoyama during the 8th edition of the Critics Awards for Arab Films. “Inshallah A Boy” is the first-ever Jordanian feature selected at Cannes. Last year, it secured the Rail d’Or award for feature film.
“Inshallah A Boy” still photo
“Inshallah A Boy” paints a poignant picture of the challenges faced by Nawal, who is left on the brink of destitution after her husband’s sudden demise. In the absence of a formal inheritance arrangement, her brother-in-law Rifqi, portrayed by Hitham Omari, exploits current inheritance laws to lay claim not only to the couple’s apartment but also to the guardianship of Nawal’s vulnerable daughter, Nora.
The film’s narrative unfolds against the backdrop of contemporary Amman, offering a compelling cross-section of the city’s diverse cultural landscape. From the opulent Christian household where Nawal works, which brings her into contact with a woman grappling with her own personal crisis, to the dimly lit legal offices and clandestine clinics, “Inshallah A Boy” takes viewers on a thought-provoking journey through the intricate web of human emotions and societal dynamics.
