House No. 7
Fall Grants 2023 - Development Stage
Rama Abdi / Feature Documentary / Syria, Qatar / 75 min / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Drama, Biography, War
Synopsis
After leaving their homes, trying to escape their conservative societies, and in pursuit of basic human freedoms, three girls, Rama, Marah, and Lilian, meet and rent rooms in an old Damascene house owned by Um Mousa, in one of the more liberal parts of Syria. The house in Bab Touma—isolated from reality—witnesses the diary of the girls’ lives and their journey of self-discovery as they experience a sense of freedom for the first time. A close relationship forms between them as darkness and power outages make for the ritual of staying up by candlelight.
The trio find solace and companionship through conversations about sensitive subjects none dares bring up beyond the walls of house No.7 as the exterior world rages with conflict and chaos. However, their peace begins to be increasingly disrupted due to events outside their home, the collective emigration of their peers, and the struggle to secure the most essential needs. Deterioration is evident in the state of the house, and it reaches climax after a devastating earthquake takes place in Syria, followed by repetitive bombings. Exhausted and unable to bear new blows, the girls begin seriously planning another escape, this time outside the country.
Credits
- Director
- Rama Abdi
- Screenwriter
- Rama Abdi
- Producer
- Hazar Yazji
About the Director
Rama Abdi, born in 1995, is a DOP and an independent director from Damascus, Syria. She is a student at the Higher Institute of Cinema in Syria and a graduate of the Department of Business Administration. Abdi began her filmmaking journey in 2018. Her first short documentary, 'Fish Dance,' was produced in 2022 and premiered at the 7th 7ème Lune Festival in Paris. She is also currently working on her first feature-length documentary, 'House Number 7'.