WAJIB WINS BIG AT DUBAI FILM FESTIVAL
The Sørfond-supported film Wajib directed by Annemarie Jacir won several prizes, among them best feature fiction, at the 14th edition of Dubai International Film Festival in December.
Wajib received support from Sørfond in 2016, and won big at Dubai International Film Festival in December. The Muhr feature jury gave the prize for best fiction feature to the Palestinian father-son drama Wajib. The film also won the prize for best actor shared by real-life father and son co-stars, Mohammed and Saleh Bakri.
The film is a co-production between Palestine, France, Germany, Colombia, Norway, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, with the Palestinian production company Philistine Films as main producer. The Norwegian co-producer is Ape&Bjørn as, represented by Ruben Thorkildsen.
Wajib had its Scandinavian premiere during this year’s Films From the South-festival in November, and the director Annemarie Jacir was one of the main guests screening three of her films (When I Saw You, Salt of the Sea, and Wajib) in the Director’s Special Portrait. Read our interview with Jacir here.
Wajib (Arabic for 'duty') is a plain-spoken and visually subtle film that pays great attention to detail in its depiction of Shadi and his complex relationship to his father and to the land. It is also an excellent showcase for Annemarie Jacir's ability to craft a good script and to work with her actors to portray the characters as nuanced as possible. The leading men, Mohammad and Saleh Bakri, are father and son also in real life, and their characters come across as real people of flesh and blood, as do the many supporting characters.
Dubai Film Festival
Since its inception in 2004, DIFF has established itself as a major international festival, while continuing to serve as a premier showcase event for Arab cinema, and contributing to the development and growth of the regional industry. The 14th Dubai International Film Festival was held from 6th December - 13th December 2017. Read more here.