Feature Narrative
TOTAL BUDGET
US $400,000
CONFIRMED FINANCING
US $40,000
CONTACT
ayah.jardaneh@gmail.com
A Palestinian trapped on the other side of the wall tries to reach the hospital for his son. A distance of 200 meters becomes a 200 kilometers journey.
Uncomfortable in her own skin, Donya, a lonely travel agent in her forties, is a TV home-shopping addict living in a dark basement apartment in the Paradise Building in the slums of old Amman, where she is often harassed for not abiding by society›s conservative standards. She is in a sexual relationship with her employer, Mazen, a playful man in his fifties, and constantly tries to convince herself that they will eventually get married.
Donya’s life is shaken by the intrusion of Hayat, her new, young and beautiful co-worker. Saddened by Mazen›s infatuation with her, Donya goes to extreme measures to lose weight and look prettier.
Hayat, meanwhile, is captivated by the seventh-floor apartment of the Paradise Building. The landlord, a mean man in his sixties, agrees to give Hayat the apartment under one condition: that she obeys the building’s rules. When Hayat disregards them, he banishes her from the seventh floor to the basement with Donya.
Donya is pregnant. To her disappointment, Mazen rejects her and fires her from work. Certain that she will be stuck in the slums forever, Donya admits that she was wrong to disobey society’s rules, changing her behaviour and attire and striking a deal with the landlord. Desperately trying to redeem herself, Donya spirals down a self-destructive path where she can no longer distinguish between her illusions and her reality.
This film is about what it means to be a woman living in an oppressed society. It’s about what is expected of women, how they are portrayed in media, and the rules society sets for them.
I grew up in the Jordanian capital Amman. In masculine society bounded by religion and cultural rules. Guys would brag about their sexual experiences while girls safeguard their virginity. Women are categorized, judged or shamed by their appearances.
The Balcony of Paradise is a feature narrative psychological drama/fantasy with current time events. In this film the main character is harassed by people in her neighborhood for not going by the society rules.
The film will be grounded in the social realism of the place and its people. Mainly depending on the natural light of the place to capture its oldness and grimness.
Hopefully, this will give the film an oddly real and captivating feel where ugliness will earn the label “art” in The Balcony of Paradise.
Ayah Jardaneh is a producer and line producer based in Jordan. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Carleton University and a diploma in Interactive Multimedia and Design from Algonquin College, Canada. She also acquired certificates in producing from New York Film Academy, a PGA certificate, and a 3D intensive course at VanArts. Jardaneh started her career in film by joining the Royal Film Commission in Jordan. She then worked on numerous productions including Under The Shadow, 2017 BAFTA winner for Outstanding Debut, and The Parrot, recipient of the 2015 Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung.
A Jordanian company specialized in the production and creation of audiovisual content and media as well as brands, franchises and advertising. Established in 2016, Talebox brings forth storytelling in its finest form by digging deep into the genesis of a story, exploring the best means of telling it, and transforming it into captivating visuals.