Feature Film competition

The Burdened

Yemen / Sudan / Saudi Arabia | 91 min | 2023

Isra’a lives with her husband Ahmed and their three children in the old port city of Aden in southern Yemen. Their everyday lives are shaped by the civil war – which means military checks in the streets, frequent power cuts, and having to haul water from the street to the kitchen. Ahmed used to work for television, but after several salary cheques were not paid, he is now earning his money as a driver. When Isra’a unexpectedly becomes pregnant, the couple faces a crisis. They both know they cannot afford a fourth child: they are about to move to a cheaper flat and the children’s school fees are due. Together they decide on an abortion. An odyssey begins in which a doctor friend becomes a key figure.

Director:

Amr Gamal

Screenplay:

Amr Gamal, Mazen Refaat
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Mrinal Desai

cast:

Khaled Hamdan,
Abeer Mohammed,
Samah Alamrani

production:

Adenium Productions
Director:

Amr Gamal

The film and theatre director with Yemeni roots was born in Poland in 1983. In 2005, he founded the Khaleej Aden theatre company for which he has written and directed all of their productions ever since. His play “Ma’k Nazel” was the first Yemeni play to be performed in Europe. His debut film 10 Days Before the Wedding was the first Yemen-made film to screen commercially there for 30 years and was the country’s official entry for the 2018 Oscars. He lives and works in Aden, Yemen.
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