Mare Nostrum
Ajyal Competition
Rana Kazkaz, Anas Khalaf / Short Narrative / France, Syria / 2016 / 13 min / Colour
In English / Arabic subtitles
Interests: Drama, Immigration
Qatar Premiere
Synopsis
A Syrian man plays with his young daughter on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Suddenly, their lively horseplay takes an unexpected turn, and the father does something that risks the youngster’s life. What is it that could drive a person to put their own child in danger’s way? ‘Mare Nostrum’ (the term is the Latin name for the Mediterranean) is a heart-rending look at what ordinary people sometimes feel they must do in extraordinary circumstances.
About the Directors
Rana Kazkaz, a Syrian-American, currently lives with her family in Jordan, having left Damascus as a result of the ongoing Syrian conflict. Kazkaz holds an MFA in Acting from Carnegie Mellon University/Moscow Art Theatre and attended the Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute. She is the writer and director of four short films including ‘Mare Nostrum’ (2016). She is currently working as a story editor and co-producer on two feature-length documentaries.
Anas Khalaf is a Syrian filmmaker who currently lives in Jordan, having left Damascus with his family as a result of the Syrian conflict. He holds an MBA from the Normandy Business School, and with his wife Rana Kazkaz, he co-founded the production company Synéastes Films in 2010. He is the screenwriter and director of three short films, including ‘Mare Nostrum’ (2016), which has been selected for more than 30 festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival and the Dubai International Film Festival, and has won nine international prizes. He also works as an actor, having played roles in ‘Dégradé’ (2015), ‘With Premeditation’ (2014) and the television series ‘The Bureau’ (2015-).
Credits
- Director
- Rana Kazkaz, Anas Khalaf
- Screenwriter
- Rana Kazkaz
- Producer
- Raphaël Alexandre, Nicolas Leprêtre
- Editor
- Monique Dartonne
- Co-Producer
- Anas Khalaf
- Music
- Kinan Azmeh
- Cinematographer
- Eric Devin
- Sales Company
- Premium Films
- Production Company
- Georges Films
- Sound
- Lucas Albert
- Assistant Director
- Laure-Anne Nicolet
- Cast
- Ziad Bakri, Zayn Khalaf