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Maha Haj’s award winning Palestinian short film UPSHOT competes at Clermont
29 January 2025
UPSHOT, an award-winning short title by Palestinian director Maha Haj, is set to feature in the International Competition of this year’s Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France, with the director herself set to be in attendance. The 47th edition of the esteemed festival is taking place from January the 31st till February the 8th.
The film recently won top prizes at both the 77th Locarno Film Festival, as well as the seventh El Gouna Film Festival; a Golden Pardino and a Golden Star, respectively.
Set against the backdrop of Gaza's enduring strife, UPSHOT tells the story of Suleiman and Lubna — a couple who retreat to a mist-shrouded, isolated farm as they try to cope with unspeakable loss.
Withdrawn from the world, their carefully constructed fantasy life is jeopardized by an uninvited guest who brings forth a devastating revelation from their past, challenging the delicate fabric of their reality.
With UPSHOT, Maja Jah weaves a world where her characters can escape pain and loss. Commenting on her featurette, Haj said “UPSHOT is both a lamentation and a testament to the indomitable power of the human spirit. There are no easy answers, no political solutions to assuage the anguish of parents who have lost everything. And so, it unfolds in a realm unbound by time or place — a poignant reflection of the irreparable loss that defies earthly confines.”
A Palestinian-French-Italian co-production, UPSHOT stars renowned Palestinian actors Mohammed Bakri, Areen Omari, and Amer Hlehel. It is lensed by Augustin Bonnet, and edited by Veronique Lange, with production design handled by Saher Dwairy. It is produced by Ramallah-based company August Films in tandem with Hanna Atallah and Ronza Kamel, who have recently worked on the award-winning title THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US. UPSHOT is being distributed worldwide by MAD World and in all Arabic-speaking territories by MAD Distribution.
Maha Haj is a filmmaker with a diverse background in English and Arabic literature who made her directorial debut with the short film ORANGES followed by the poignant documentary BEHIND THESE WALLS.
Her first foray into feature filmmaking, however, came in 2015 with PERSONAL AFFAIRS — a critically acclaimed work that was selected for the 69th Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. Her last feature, MEDITERRANEAN FEVER, won the Best Screenplay Prize in the 75th Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard and was selected to represent Palestine in the 94th Academy Awards’ Best International Feature race.
The 77th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival is due to take place from January the 31st till February the 8th.
The film recently won top prizes at both the 77th Locarno Film Festival, as well as the seventh El Gouna Film Festival; a Golden Pardino and a Golden Star, respectively.
Set against the backdrop of Gaza's enduring strife, UPSHOT tells the story of Suleiman and Lubna — a couple who retreat to a mist-shrouded, isolated farm as they try to cope with unspeakable loss.
Withdrawn from the world, their carefully constructed fantasy life is jeopardized by an uninvited guest who brings forth a devastating revelation from their past, challenging the delicate fabric of their reality.
With UPSHOT, Maja Jah weaves a world where her characters can escape pain and loss. Commenting on her featurette, Haj said “UPSHOT is both a lamentation and a testament to the indomitable power of the human spirit. There are no easy answers, no political solutions to assuage the anguish of parents who have lost everything. And so, it unfolds in a realm unbound by time or place — a poignant reflection of the irreparable loss that defies earthly confines.”
A Palestinian-French-Italian co-production, UPSHOT stars renowned Palestinian actors Mohammed Bakri, Areen Omari, and Amer Hlehel. It is lensed by Augustin Bonnet, and edited by Veronique Lange, with production design handled by Saher Dwairy. It is produced by Ramallah-based company August Films in tandem with Hanna Atallah and Ronza Kamel, who have recently worked on the award-winning title THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US. UPSHOT is being distributed worldwide by MAD World and in all Arabic-speaking territories by MAD Distribution.
Maha Haj is a filmmaker with a diverse background in English and Arabic literature who made her directorial debut with the short film ORANGES followed by the poignant documentary BEHIND THESE WALLS.
Her first foray into feature filmmaking, however, came in 2015 with PERSONAL AFFAIRS — a critically acclaimed work that was selected for the 69th Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. Her last feature, MEDITERRANEAN FEVER, won the Best Screenplay Prize in the 75th Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard and was selected to represent Palestine in the 94th Academy Awards’ Best International Feature race.
The 77th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival is due to take place from January the 31st till February the 8th.
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