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Bethlehem 2001 (بيت لحم ٢٠٠١)

Ajyal Competition

Synopsis

While reflecting on the present, a young Palestinian recalls his childhood memories of the military invasion and siege of Bethlehem in 2001 during the second Palestinian uprising (Intifada). By trying to understand how his parents led him through those difficult times, he hopes to find the strength and support he needs to cope with the present. Bethlehem 2001 is a personal cinematic exploration to understand childhood trauma and its effects it can have on later life.

Official Film Website

About the Directors

Stephen Frears
Born in Leicester, England during WWII, Frears graduated from Cambridge University and worked on iconic Sixties films including "Morgan" and "if…" before directing his own projects. Coming into prominence with "My Beautiful Laundrette," he made his Hollywood debut with "Dangerous Liaisons." Frears' other films include "The Grifters," "High Fidelity" and "The Queen," which won an Oscar® for Best Actress.

Ibrahim Handal is a Palestinian filmmaker and cinematographer from
Bethlehem. In 2019 he obtained his BFA in Cinematography at Dar Al-Kalima
University. Ibrahim directed several narrative and experimental short films and
he also worked as Director of Photography on various short films including the
Cannes Cinefondation 2019 winner “Ambience” by Wissam Al Jafari. He also
worked on several feature film productions in Palestine in the camera and
lighting departments. Ibrahim is in development of his first feature film.
Filmography
• Bethlehem 2001 (2020) 14min. Short Fiction
• Him and I (2019) 13min. Short Fiction
• Cold (2017) 5min. Experimental Film
Director of Photography
• Ambience (2019) 15min. Short Fiction
• Sawsan (2019) 10min. Short Fiction
• Between you and me (2020) 6min. Short Fic

Credits

Director

Ibrahim Handal

Screenwriter

Ibrahim Handal

Producer

Ibrahim Handal, Wisam Al Jafari

Editor

Ibrahim Handal, Belal Abu Alia

Director of Photography

Ben Davis

Production Designer

Alan Macdonald

Composer

Alexandre Desplat

Cinematographer

Ibrahim Handal

Sound

Ibrahim Handal, Issam Murad

Distributor

MAD Solutions

Cast

Muhammad Mughrabi, Yousef Abushkaidem, Hind Abushkaidem, Tarek Abusalameh, Karam Al-Salaymeh

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