Days of Tyranny
Spring Grant 2014 - Production Stage
Katia Jarjoura / Feature Narrative / Lebanon, France, Canada, Qatar / 2016 / 90 min / Colour / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Drama, Thriller, War, Psychological
Synopsis
In a border town set in an unnamed Arab country ruled by a ruthless dictatorship, Hana, a mother and primary school teacher, is hiding her younger brother Ismail behind the walls of her house. As a journalist and opponent of the regime, he has committed an irrevocable crime: he published an article denouncing the state’s repressive measures and the security forces crackdown on a popular uprising in the South. Henceforth, hunted down by security agents and threatened with death, Hana must help him out to escape the country. But in this country where everyone spies on each other and where suspicion and fear reign supreme, at school, as well as inside the household, Hana can only count on herself to face the risks of such an operation. While the attempts to get her brother out are failing, and the perspectives are shrinking, the trap is closing on Ismail and the family is breaking apart.
Credits
- Director
- Katia Jarjoura, Jamal Belmahi
- Screenwriter
- Katia Jarjoura
- Producer
- Nadim Cheikhrouha, Habib Attia
- Production Company
- TANIT FILMS, CINETELEFILMS
About the Director
A Lebanese-Canadian filmmaker, Katia Jarjoura directed several documentaries in the Middle East (Lebanon sitting on a volcano - Goodbye Mubarak - the Road to Kerbala - Caught in Between), for the French-German channel ARTE. Katia also co-wrote several screenplays and directed two short films: In their Blood, which was screened in various international film festivals and won the France 2 award at the Brest film festival (2009) and Only Silence, which was broadcast on France 3. Her work focuses on war torn countries where she portrays people caught in the midst of political turmoil. Katia also orchestrated and several short films workshops in the Arab world (Iraq, Libya, Algeria) and trained emerging filmmakers. Today, Katia is based in Paris and she is developing her first feature film Days of Tyranny.