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