Baq'a The Open Valley
Youssef Mutawe
Docufiction Short
2023 - Jordan, Palestine, Canada
International Premiere
English, Arabic/ English
Unsure of his place as a second generation Palestinian born and raised
in Amman, Jordan, Abood's dissociation with his birth–country prevents
him from interacting with it and the people within it. But when his
uncle visits from Canada, telling stories of his past as a survivor of
the Naksa (the second expulsion of Palestinians in 1967) and his youth
growing up in the Baq'a Refugee Camp at the base of Amman, Abood begins
to listen more closely to the people around him as they speak about
their hope, the spiritual, and the mundane.
Soon after, finding
himself lost in the streets of Amman — and never having bothered to
understand the city he was born in — Abood must rely on a young female
stranger to guide him home. As she leads him through Amman, she shares
her perspective on the country, the people, and her identity as a
Jordanian–Palestinian. The stories from Abood's uncle remain in his
mind, and come to ahead as the young stranger eventually leads Abood to a
long–deserted Palestinian home, leaving him with a new understanding of
Jordan, as well as his identity as a Palestinian.
Featured Cast
Afif MutaweAmr MutaweMira Mutawe
