Feature Narrative Film
TOTAL BUDGET
US $700,000
CONFIRMED FINANCING
US $63,000
CONTACTS
laila.abbas.films@gmail.com
+972 599332933
roshi@ingoodcompany.de
+49 16090266975
h.atallah@flp.ps
+972 599700976
The father of Mariam and Kawthar dies alone in his old house. If his death is declared, his son in America will inherit a larger share of his estate. To hide their father’s death, the sisters need to take care of his body.
Mariam and Kawthar find their old father dead in his house on the outskirts of the city of Ramallah. While waiting for the ambulance to take the father to the hospital to complete the procedures and announce his death, Kawthar finds a piece of paper showing he deposited a large amount of money in his bank account two years ago. Mariam knows her father has an ATM card. They cancel the ambulance and rush to the ATM. The good news is there’s $160,000 in his account. The bad news is they can only take out $3,000 per day. If their brother in America finds out, he’s entitled by law to half of this money.
The sisters spend the first hours of their stormy night plotting to find a way to hide the father’s death. To hide his death, they need to take care of the body. But for their plan to work, they need to stay away from the old woman living downstairs.
Burying their father ends up being much more complicated than it seemed and luck seems to be looking the other way. The last straw is when the woman living downstairs becomes aware of their plan. When they think they’re doomed and all is lost, the old lady downstairs turns out to be the solution to their problems.
Barzakh is a story that is so familiar yet utterly fresh. Stories that deal with familial anxiety, death of the father and inheritance battles are deeply rooted in the minds and conscience of all human beings everywhere. What makes this story unique is the setting and all the complications it brings to the characters. In this story, the characters want the money, but underneath it all, they’re actually setting out to fight the system and the laws they see as obsolete and sexist. In Palestine and almost all other Arab countries, men and women are not equal in the eyes of the law especially when it comes to inheritance. Barzakh is a film about women and the need for female solidarity to emancipate themselves from their patriarchs.
When the idea of Barzakh was born, I was determined to write it in a way that will increase its chances of seeing the light. Relying on a very limited number of characters and locations and having the story take place over the course of one night seemed limiting at first but ended up being the key to writing a condensed drama that gives the audience the chance to go deep into the hearts and minds of the characters.
The story will be told in a visually subtle and naturalistic manner keeping the focus on the characters’ thoughts, actions and emotions. Elements of realism will be seen in the lighting, choice of sets, costumes and actors’ performances. The aim is to create a raw and authentic film that is also suspenseful and humorous at times.
Hanna Atallah and I came across this unique project by Laila Abbas during an EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs) workshop that was held in Palestine. Barzakh deals with a big social issue but it is still quite entertaining and lets you, the audience, breathe so that at the end of the film you actually feel good. This is such a rare thing that we immediately feel attracted to the story.
Barzakh is a drama sprinkled all over with humor and comic relief. I could immediately relate to the premise of the story, to the characters and their conflict. But what really caught my attention were the balance of seriousness and lightness, and, the loving humor in the way Laila portraits the women in her story.
I promised myself at one point in my career, after producing over 35 films with more than 40 awards, to only work on films that I personally would like to watch at the end of a really tiring day; to actually go to the cinema and buy a ticket. In Good Company was founded for exactly that, and Barzakh fits perfectly. The project is now in development and is seeking financing and distribution.
2017: Bye Bye Germany
2014: Men Who Save the World
2012: I'm Going to Change My Name
2009: Football Undercover
2008: The Market: A Tale of Trade
2007: 32A