Souraya Mon Amour
Fall Grants 2024 - Post-Production Stage
Nicolas Khoury / Feature Documentary / Lebanon, Qatar / 80 min / Original Language: Arabic, French / Interests: Creative Documentary
Synopsis
‘Souraya Mon Amour’ invites us into the concealed world of Souraya Baghdadi, a vibrant tapestry woven with threads of dance, cinema, meditation, introspection, and imagery—elements that continue to bind her to the illustrious Lebanese filmmaker Maroun Baghdadi. Their paths crossed in 1981 in Beirut, during the tumultuous backdrop of the civil war, as they collaborated on ‘Petites Guerres’, where Souraya took on the leading role.
The film graced the Cannes Film Festival, and in its wake, the couple married and made their home in Paris. They thrived there until the tragic loss of Maroun in December 1993, a heartbreaking moment that occurred while Souraya was expecting their third child. Now, at 67, having cultivated a sense of balance and serenity, she is finally able to reflect on her unfulfilled aspirations. Through family archives, Zoom conversations, and deep introspection, the documentary unveils the intricate dynamics of a nurturing and essential relationship, defined by both presence and, above all, poignant absence.
Credits
- Director
- Nicolas Khoury
- Screenwriter
- Nicolas Khoury, Souraya Baghdadi
- Producer
- Jana Wehbe
- Production Company
- The Attic Production
About the Director
Nicolas Khoury graduated in film and audiovisual studies from the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA) in 2010. He is an independent documentary filmmaker and film editor living and working in Beirut, Lebanon. His filmography includes three independent medium-length films that won awards at multiple festivals. In 2018, his short independent documentary 'Résonances' won Best Short Documentary at It's All True Film Festival, Brazil and the Tanit D'or of the Best Short Documentary in Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage, Tunis. 'Fiasco' is his first long documentary that premiered in CPH:DOX and won two awards at Cairo International Film Festival 2021.