Amsterdam premiere 

Mahdi Fleifel | Drama, Thriller | 105 min | UK, Palestine, France, Greece, Netherlands, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia | Arabic, Greek, English

Synopsis

Palestinian refugees Chatila and Reda, played by Aram Sabbah, a renowned Palestinian skater, are desperate to escape their bleak life in Athens, saving every penny to buy fake passports. But when Reda’s crippling drug addiction causes him to blow their savings, Chatila is forced to come up with a drastic plan. Determined to break free, he convinces Reda to pose as smugglers and take hostages, using the risky scheme as their last shot at getting out before it’s too late; a decision that puts their friendship and lives at risk.

Palestinian director Mahdi Fleifel’s debut narrative feature had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.

Programme

• HoFF x Palestinian Film Festival Amsterdam

  Introduction by Özge Calafato (Lecturer in Literary and Cultural Analysis at the University of Amsterdam)