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THE WOUND and MIRACLE OF LIFE to premiere at 8th Beirut Women's Film Festival, alongside 3 other MAD titles
14 April 2025
With heartfelt female narratives exploring themes of family, love, and resilience, five Arab women-centric films distributed by MAD Solutions are competing in the official selection of the eighth Beirut International Women's Film Festival (April 27th - May 3rd), which primarily showcases films produced by women or centered on women's issues with a particular impact.
This exciting new edition also marks the Arab World premieres of Seloua El Gouni’s Moroccan film THE WOUND as well as Sabreen Khoury’s Palestinian short MIRACLE OF LIFE.
The rest of the lineup includes the distinguished Palestinian sister-heist film THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US by Leila Abbas, the Saudi entry MY DRIVER AND I by director and actress Ahd Kamel, and the poignant Tunisian film TAKE MY BREATH by Nada Mezni Hafaiedh.
THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US stars Yasmine Al-Masri, Clara Khoury, Kamil Al-Basha, and Ashraf Barhoum. A joint Palestinian-German-Qatari production, it tells the tale of Mariam and Noura, whose father passes away, leaving behind a substantial inheritance. The sisters plot to claim the fortune before their brother learns of their father's death, as he is legally entitled to half the inheritance — a reality the sisters perceive as unjust.
MY DRIVER AND I stars Rola Dakheelallah, MAD Rising Celebrity Mustafa Shehata, Rana Alamuddin, and Qusai Khidr. The crew also includes Sudanese director Amjad Abu Alala — known for YOU WILL DIE AT TWENTY and producer of THE FATIGUE and FAREWELL JULIA. Set in Jeddah during the 1980s and 1990s, the film follows the unconventional friendship between a Saudi girl and her Sudanese driver. Their bond is tested when the young woman begins to take the wheel herself.
THE WOUND marks the directorial debut of Seloua El Gouni, whose background in production management includes work on both Hollywood features and TV series. Now completed, her film tells the story of Leila as she tries to pursue her passions and ambitions while navigating the thorny societal constraints imposed on women under the guise of tradition and cultural normalcy.
MIRACLE OF LIFE follows a Palestinian mother-to-be navigating pregnancy's upheavals in the Netherlands, as she confronts societal norms and identity crises amidst the harrowing echoes of the Gaza genocide.
TAKE MY BREATH is co-written by Pascal Gausse and stars Tunisian actress Amina Ben Ismail alongside Mohamed Mourad, Sana Ben Sheikh Arabi, and Aymen Ben Hamida. It follows the story of Shams — a 23-year-old whose life is shrouded in unfathomable pain and secrecy. Stripped of her right to exist, she is betrayed by love and rejected by the rigid expectations of society.
This exciting new edition also marks the Arab World premieres of Seloua El Gouni’s Moroccan film THE WOUND as well as Sabreen Khoury’s Palestinian short MIRACLE OF LIFE.
The rest of the lineup includes the distinguished Palestinian sister-heist film THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US by Leila Abbas, the Saudi entry MY DRIVER AND I by director and actress Ahd Kamel, and the poignant Tunisian film TAKE MY BREATH by Nada Mezni Hafaiedh.
THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US stars Yasmine Al-Masri, Clara Khoury, Kamil Al-Basha, and Ashraf Barhoum. A joint Palestinian-German-Qatari production, it tells the tale of Mariam and Noura, whose father passes away, leaving behind a substantial inheritance. The sisters plot to claim the fortune before their brother learns of their father's death, as he is legally entitled to half the inheritance — a reality the sisters perceive as unjust.
MY DRIVER AND I stars Rola Dakheelallah, MAD Rising Celebrity Mustafa Shehata, Rana Alamuddin, and Qusai Khidr. The crew also includes Sudanese director Amjad Abu Alala — known for YOU WILL DIE AT TWENTY and producer of THE FATIGUE and FAREWELL JULIA. Set in Jeddah during the 1980s and 1990s, the film follows the unconventional friendship between a Saudi girl and her Sudanese driver. Their bond is tested when the young woman begins to take the wheel herself.
THE WOUND marks the directorial debut of Seloua El Gouni, whose background in production management includes work on both Hollywood features and TV series. Now completed, her film tells the story of Leila as she tries to pursue her passions and ambitions while navigating the thorny societal constraints imposed on women under the guise of tradition and cultural normalcy.
MIRACLE OF LIFE follows a Palestinian mother-to-be navigating pregnancy's upheavals in the Netherlands, as she confronts societal norms and identity crises amidst the harrowing echoes of the Gaza genocide.
TAKE MY BREATH is co-written by Pascal Gausse and stars Tunisian actress Amina Ben Ismail alongside Mohamed Mourad, Sana Ben Sheikh Arabi, and Aymen Ben Hamida. It follows the story of Shams — a 23-year-old whose life is shrouded in unfathomable pain and secrecy. Stripped of her right to exist, she is betrayed by love and rejected by the rigid expectations of society.
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