DIFF FILMS

FOR THE YEAR 2010

MY FATHER FROM HAIFA

Winner of Muhr Arab / Documentary /Special Jury Prize :Omar Shargawi (Director)
Winner of People Choice Awards /Best Film :Omar Shargawi (Director)

Denmark / 2010 / Danish, Hebrew, Arabic dialogue with English subtitles / Colour and Black & White / DigiBeta / 52 mins

Genre: Biography, Documentary, Historical

Cast & Credits

Director: Omar Shargawi
Producer: Carsten Holst
Scriptwriter: Omar Shargawi
Cinematographer: Aske Foss, Omar Shargawi
Editor: Per Sandholdt
Composer: Anders Christensen

Synopsis

Munir Shargawi says his entire life was shaped by one event - his family's forced evacuation from Palestine in 1948, when he was a boy of eight. Since then, he joined the Palestinian military, left, wandered the world before ending up in Denmark, where he married and raised a family. It's his eldest son, filmmaker Omar, who - having fruitlessly quizzed his father for years about his heritage - came up with the idea of formally interviewing the old man about his past, initially intending to compile a family document. However, as his father finally opened up about his traumatic past, Omar instigated a trip through the cities of Munir's past across the Middle East. Though their relationship is clearly fraught at times, 'My Father From Haifa' develops into a touching document not only of a personal history, but also of a new relationship emerging between a father and son, both of whom in their own ways are grappling with their identities. Shot in Shargawi's characteristically intense style, this is a fascinating emotional and historical journey.

Contains: Strong Language 12+