Life Is Beautiful (2023 film)

Last updated
Life Is Beautiful
Al Haya Helwa (الحياه حلوه)
Directed byMohamed Jabaly
Produced by
  • KriStine Ann Skaret
  • Sarah Winge-Sorensen
  • Mohamed Jabaly
  • Anad Abdelwahab
  • Muhammad Refaat
StarringMohamed Jabaly
CinematographyMohamed Jabaly
Edited by
  • Erland Edenholm
  • Anne Fabini
Music byGaute Barlindhaug
Production
company
Stray Dogs Norway
Release date
  • November 2023 (2023-11)
Running time
92 minutes
Countries Norway, Palestine

Life Is Beautiful (original title: Al Haya Helwa) is a 2023 documentary film by Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed Jabaly. It follows the director over seven years, detailing his separation from his family in Gaza, his support system and challenges as a stateless person in Norway, and the making of his debut documentary, Ambulance.

Contents

Synopsis

The documentary chronicles approximately seven years of Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed Jabaly's life through a diary-like structure. It captures his involuntary separation from his family in Gaza, the support he receives from his surrogate family in Gaza's twin city, Tromsø, Norway, his struggles applying for a visa in Norway as a stateless person, the creation of his debut feature documentary, Ambulance, which explores his experiences volunteering in an ambulance unit during the 2014 Gaza War. [1]

Production

Release

On 13 November 2023, Life Is Beautiful premiered at International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, where it was screened in the international competition. Jabaly clarified his decision to retain his film at the festival despite the Palestine Film Institute's announcement of withdrawal from all organized activities at the IDFA market. "It's ultimately the filmmaker's decision. We created this film to be seen. Removing it from a festival with audiences would mean losing more voices," he explained. "Speaking out will allow me to share this pain, and showing my film will help me convey my people's pain." [2]

The documentary was the opening film at Tromsø International Film Festival in December 2023. [3]

The film is sold by First Hand Films. [2]

Awards

The film won the Best Director award at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. [4] The jurors, in awarding Jalaby the accolade, described the documentary as a "timely cinematic expression of the universal need to be recognized in our full humanity". They lauded its compelling critique of bureaucratic and political systems that obstruct this recognition, noting the director's ability to infuse the film with hope and humor amidst profound suffering. They praised the film as an urgent plea for freedom of movement, opportunity, and the pursuit of dreams. [5]

At the 22d International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights, the film won the he Gilda Vieira de Mello Prize. [6]

Reception

In her review for Screen Daily , Nikki Baughan praises the documentary, which she describes as a "timely account of the deeply personal impact of global destabilisation," noting its beautiful cinematography and compelling narrative. She acknowledges that while the film may lack some political potency compared to other war zone documentaries, Jabaly's bravery and honesty render the documentary a "powerful indictment of the fallout from war." [7]

Variety 's review of "Life Is Beautiful" presents it as a unique and uplifting tale of filmmaker Jabaly's unexpected exile in Norway. While the review appreciates the film's charm and visual storytelling, it suggests that its apolitical nature might not fully resonate with the current climate. The review hints that a deeper exploration of Jabaly's personal connections and the broader political context could enhance its impact, and the film's approach is seen as appealing to programmers seeking content that addresses relevant issues without being divisive. [8]

Cineuropa's review of "Life Is Beautiful" portrays the film as a "a study of national belonging and identity in absentia". David Katz notes that while the documentary does not heavily criticize the Israeli occupation, it offers a nuanced perspective on Palestinian life, focusing on filmmaker Jabaly's desire for dignity and normalcy. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam</span> Film festival

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the world's largest documentary film festival held annually since 1988 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anand Patwardhan</span> Indian film director

Anand Patwardhan is an Indian documentary filmmaker known for his socio-political, human rights-oriented films. Some of his films explore the rise of religious fundamentalism, sectarianism and casteism in India, while others investigate nuclear nationalism and unsustainable development. Notable films include Bombay: Our City (1985), In Memory of Friends (1990), In the Name of God (1992), Father, Son, and Holy War (1995), A Narmada Diary (1995), War and Peace (2002) and Jai Bhim Comrade (2011), Reason (2018), and The World is Family (2023), which have won national and international awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Sluizer</span> Dutch filmmaker

George Sluizer was a French-born Dutch filmmaker whose credits included features as well as documentary films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of Palestine</span> Film industry in the State of Palestine

Cinema of Palestine is relatively young in comparison to Arab cinema as a whole. Palestinian films are not exclusively produced in Arabic and some are even produced in English and French. Elia Suleiman has emerged as one of the most notable working Palestinian directors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hisham Zaman</span>

Hisham Zaman is a Norwegian film director and screenwriter of Kurdish origin. He graduated from the Norwegian Film School at Lillehammer in 2004. His films center on the stories and inner dilemmas of characters united by a common refugee experience, exploring human themes such as love, acceptance, sacrifice, revenge, loyalty and honour. He has co-written several of his scripts with the Norwegian crime novelist Kjell Ola Dahl.

Checkpoint is a 2003 documentary film by Israeli filmmaker Yoav Shamir, showing the everyday interaction between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian civilians at several of the region's Israel Defense Forces checkpoints. The film won five awards at various film festivals, including Best International Documentary at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, best feature-length documentary at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and the Golden Gate Award for Documentary Feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Although the film was generally well received, it was also controversial and reactions from audience members and critics were sometimes very angry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orwa Nyrabia</span>

Orwa Nyrabia is an independent documentary film festival artistic director, producer, filmmaker, trainer, human rights defender and co-founder of DOX BOX International Documentary Film Festival in Syria. Nyrabia is a resident of Berlin, Germany, since the end of 2013 In January 2018 Nyrabia became the director of International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).

Guy Davidi is an Israeli documentary filmmaker. His movie 5 Broken Cameras was nominated for the 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Davidi also won the Best Directing Award along with Palestinian co-director Emad Burnat in the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and the 2013 international Emmy Award as well as numerous awards worldwide.

Najwa Najjar is a film writer and director. She was born to a Jordanian father and Palestinian mother. She began her career making commercials and has worked in both documentary and fiction since 1999.

The International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) is one of the most important international events dedicated to cinema and human rights, held annually in Geneva. A ten-days long event is based on the concept ‘A film, A subject, A debate’, following the screenings with discussion in presence of filmmakers and specialists.

<i>Something Better to Come</i> 2014 film

Something Better to Come is a Danish-Polish documentary film about children living on a garbage dump near Moscow directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hanna Polak and produced by Sigrid Dyekjær of Danish Documentary. Something Better to Come won the Special Jury Award at the IDFA documentary festival, where the film had premiered.

Cinema of Sudan refers to both the history and present of the making or screening of films in cinemas or film festivals, as well as to the persons involved in this form of audiovisual culture of the Sudan and its history from the late nineteenth century onwards. It began with cinematography during the British colonial presence in 1897 and developed along with advances in film technology during the twentieth century.

<i>Golden Dawn Girls</i> 2017 documentary film

Golden Dawn Girls is a political documentary film on the background of the neo-Nazi organization Golden Dawn, directed by the Norwegian Håvard Bustnes.

<i>Khartoum Offside</i> 2019 Sudanese sports documentary film directed by Marwa Zein

Khartoum Offside is a 2019 Sudanese sports documentary film with a focus on young women in Sudan, produced, written and directed by Sudanese filmmaker Marwa Zein. It was globally premiered in the 2019 Berlinale Forum in Germany and is one of the three notable Sudanese films of 2019.

Three Promises is a 2023 Palestinian documentary film directed by Yousef Srouji, and produced by Marielle Olentine, that won the Harrell Award for Best Documentary at the 19th Annual Camden Film Festival. The story revolves around a mother and her two children in Palestine during the Second Intifada.

<i>Apolonia, Apolonia</i> 2022 documentary film by Lea Glob

Apolonia, Apolonia is a 2022 documentary film directed by Lea Glob. The film is a coming-of-age story of a girl, who finds her place in the art world, narrated through 13 years. The film produced by Danish Documentary Production, HBO Max Central Europe and Staron Film won the IDFA Award for Best Film at the 35th International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in international competition in November 2022. It was one of the 15 finalist films in the December shortlists for Best Documentary Feature at the 96th Academy Awards.

<i>No Other Land</i> 2024 Palestinian documentary film

No Other Land is a 2024 documentary film directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor in their directorial debut. The film was made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of four activists as an act of resistance on the path to justice during the ongoing genocide in the region.

Håvard Bustnes is a prolific Norwegian film director and cinema producer, co-owner of UpNorth Film.

Elvis Sabin Ngaibino is a documentary filmmaker from the Central African Republic (CAR), credited with among the first feature-length documentary films of the cinema of the Central African Republic, and which have been shown and received awards at prestigious international film festivals.

References

  1. ↑ Cassingham, Chris (2023-11-23). ""I Want You To See My Life": Mohamed Jabaly Discusses 'Life Is Beautiful'". International Documentary Association . Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  2. 1 2 Macnab, Geoffrey. ""We made this film to be shown," says Palestinian director of IDFA competition title 'Life Is Beautiful'". Screen Daily . Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  3. ↑ "The documentary Life is Beautiful - Al Haya Helwa is the Opening Film at TIFF 2024". Tromsø International Film Festival (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  4. ↑ Vourlias, Christopher (2023-11-17). "IDFA Winner Mohamed Jabaly, Director of 'Life Is Beautiful,' Reflects on Events in Home City of Gaza". Variety. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  5. ↑ Carey, Matthew (2023-11-18). "Home Is Gaza, But He Became Stranded In Norway: Palestinian Director Mohamed On His IDFA-Winning Documentary 'Life Is Beautiful'". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  6. ↑ Economou, Vassilic (2024-03-18). "The 22nd FIFDH announces its award winners". Cineuropa. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  7. ↑ Baughan, Nikki (November 17, 2023). "'Life Is Beautiful': IDFA Review". Screen Daily . Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  8. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (2023-11-14). "'Life Is Beautiful' Review: An Upbeat Self-Portrait of a Palestinian Stranded in the Far North". Variety. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  9. ↑ Katz, David (2023-11-17). "Review: Life Is Beautiful". Cineuropa . Retrieved 2024-03-11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.