Palestinian Film 'In Our Father's Country' Earns Acclaim at Toronto Festival
The Palestinian film 'In Our Father's Country,' directed by Muayad Alayan, received a strong audience reception and warm applause following its North American premiere at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival. The screening was part of the festival's Centerpiece section and followed the film's successful world premiere in the Spotlight section at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
The Toronto premiere was attended by director Muayad Alayan, producer and co-writer Rami Alayan, and veteran Palestinian actor Kamel El Basha, who celebrated the film's debut in North America with the festival audience.
'In Our Father's Country' is set in Jerusalem and centers on Kamal, a 60-year-old Palestinian man. He receives a court order from an Israeli court demanding payment for a substantial sum allegedly owed to national insurance by his son, Wael. Kamal believes his son drowned in the Red Sea decades ago. However, upon discovering no official record of Wael's death, Kamal embarks on a quest to uncover the truth about his son's fate.
The film is written and directed by Muayad Alayan, with Rami Alayan co-writing the screenplay. The cast includes Kamel El Basha, Amer Hlehel, Behira Al-Abassi, Maria Zreik, Ruba Blal, Haitham Al-Omari, Rebecca Esmeralda Tlahmi, and Ibla Mari.
Produced jointly by Palestine, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, the film is a collaboration between PalCine Productions (Muayad and Rami Alayan), KeyFilm, the Red Sea Film Foundation, and Metafora Production. MAD Distribution is handling distribution in the Arab world, while MAD World manages international sales, excluding Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The film received support from the Hubert Bals Fund, the Netherlands Film Fund, the Red Sea Film Foundation, and the Doha Film Institute.
