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Life Is Beautiful

Directed by Mohamed Jabaly
2023
Norway, Palestine, Qatar
93 minutes
All Ages
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A moving first-person account of filmmaker Mohamed Jabaly’s seven-year fight to return to his home in Palestine following a Norwegian study trip, which won him the Best Director Award at IDFA.

In 2014, Jabaly – a Gazan filmmaker in his twenties – travels to Tromsø as part of an exchange program. Set to be there for a month, he tours the region talking about his work and joyfully experiencing the snow. But then Egypt’s Rafah border-crossing closes unexpectedly and he is stuck, unable to return home. Ever-resilient, Jabaly candidly documents his years-long exile – the visa struggles, community support and filmmaking endeavours – and deep longing for home and family. The result, Life is Beautiful, is a powerful condemnation of the fallout from war and conflict.

Limited seats are available for patrons requiring access for wheelchairs, low vision and hearing loop. Please contact our ticketing team directly on 1300 733 733 or tickets@sff.org.au to complete your booking.
A compelling, often shocking and timely account of the deeply personal impact of global destabilisation
Nikki Baughan, Screen International
Gaza City native Mohamed Jabaly’s unexpected long exile in Norway provides an ingratiating seriocomic diversion from grave current events in his homeland
Dennis Harvey, Variety

Tickets

Thu 6 Jun
6pm
Event Cinemas George Street - Cinema 9
Assisted Listening
Wheelchair
Past Event Cancel
Tue 11 Jun
6:15pm
Dendy Newtown - Cinema 1
Assisted Listening
Wheelchair
Past Event Cancel
Program Strand
International Documentaries
Original Title
AL HAYA HELWA
Year
2023
Classification
All Ages
Country
Norway, Palestine, Qatar
Language
In Arabic, English and Norwegian with English subtitles
Director
Mohamed Jabaly
Producer
KriStine Ann Skaret, Sarah Winge-Sørensen
Cinematographer
Mohamed Jabaly
Editor
Erland Edenhold
Premiere
Australian Premiere
Genre
Documentary, Politics & Economics, Human Rights, Middle East
Company Credits
Festival Contact: Norwegian Film Institute
Official Website
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