A Reverence for Spiders
Fall Grant 2011 - Development Stage
Faiza Ambah / Feature Narrative / Saudi Arabia, United States of America, France, Qatar / Original Language: English / Interests: Drama, Religion, Family, Friendship
Synopsis
New York-based imam Omar Metwally develops an unlikely friendship with the homeless teenager who sleeps outside his mosque. When the boy asks Omar for spiritual solace after he is fatally stabbed, Omar provides him with the Muslim creed of faith and then a Muslim burial. But then the boy’s estranged parents show up demanding their son be given a Christian burial and Omar refuses. The ensuing political scandal threatens Omar’s job, his faith and the relationship he has just started building with his young daughters. Confronted with the possibility of losing them, Omar is forced to choose between his mosque duties, his Muslim ideals, and his bond with his daughters.
Credits
- Director
- Faizah Ambah
- Screenwriter
- Faizah Ambah
- Producer
- Faizah Ambah, Jérôme Bleitrach, Silvio Saade
- Production Company
- Bizibi, Faizalberry Films, Silver Grey Productions
About the Director
Faiza Ambah is a Saudi filmmaker with a background in journalism. She was Gulf Correspondent for ‘The Washington Post’ before leaving in 2009 to focus on filmmaking. Her scripts have been supported by the Sundance Institute through the Rawi Screenwriter’s Lab in Jordan, the Dubai International Film Festival and the Doha Film Institute. She was a jury member at the Gulf Film Festival in Dubai in 2013 and organised a festival of Gulf Films at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, France the same year. She is currently in post-production for her medium-length film, ‘Mariam’, which was shot in France. Ambah has a feature-film writing certificate from UCLA extension and has taken directing courses at the Cinematic Arts School at the University of Southern California and the New York Film Academy.
Contacts
-
Director
Faiza Ambah
- Email:
- ambahfaiza@mac.com
-
Main Contact
Jérôme Bleitrach
- Company:
- Bizibi
- Phone:
- +33 143 471 506
- Email:
- bizibi@free.fr