The Translator
Spring Grants 2017 - Production Stage
Rana Kazkaz, Anas Khalaf / Feature Narrative / Syria, Jordan, France, Qatar / 2019 / 90 min / Original Language: Arabic, English / Interests: Drama, Thriller, Politics, War
Synopsis
After getting into trouble with the Syrian government, Sami has been living for years as a political refugee in Australia, working as an Arabic-English translator. Although he has adapted well to his new life, he is haunted by feelings of guilt for having abandoned his brother and sister. In 2011, the Syrian revolution starts unexpectedly and Sami receives a video of his brother being arrested at a peaceful demonstration. The horrifying event brings up painful memories of when their father was arrested by the regime 30 years earlier. Seizing this moment as a way to make up for the past, Sami makes the dangerous journey back to Syria in order to free his brother. Once there, he becomes increasingly aware of his responsibilities towards his country and family, and this leads him to risk everything for freedom – just as his father and brother did before him.
Credits
- Director
- Rana Kazkaz, Anas Khalaf
- Screenwriter
- Rana Kazkaz, Magali Negroni
- Producer
- Anas Khalaf, Nicolas Leprêtre, Raphaël Alexandre
- Production Company
- Georges Films
About the Director
Rana Kazkaz, a Syrian-American, currently lives with her family in Jordan, having left Damascus as a result of the ongoing Syrian conflict. Kazkaz holds an MFA in Acting from Carnegie Mellon University/Moscow Art Theatre and attended the Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute. She is the writer and director of four short films including ‘Mare Nostrum’ (2016). She is currently working as a story editor and co-producer on two feature-length documentaries.
Anas Khalaf is a Syrian filmmaker who currently lives in Jordan, having left Damascus with his family as a result of the Syrian conflict. He holds an MBA from the Normandy Business School, and with his wife Rana Kazkaz, he co-founded the production company Synéastes Films in 2010. He is the screenwriter and director of three short films, including ‘Mare Nostrum’ (2016), which has been selected for more than 30 festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival and the Dubai International Film Festival, and has won nine international prizes. He also works as an actor, having played roles in ‘Dégradé’ (2015), ‘With Premeditation’ (2014) and the television series ‘The Bureau’ (2015-).
Contacts
-
Main Contact
Nicolas Leprêtre
- Company:
- Georges Films
- Phone:
- +33980327901
- Email:
- nicolas@georgesfilms.fr