On meeting Emirati director Nawaf Al-Janahi, Rizk told Sky News Arabia: “The film is based on a short story called ‘Who Deserves’, which is one of my published writings and has attracted Al-Janahi’s attention to make it into a short film.
He continues: “From there, the first conversations between us started in 2005 until the final conception of the film, which the director rewrote with a script that preserved the warmth and vitality of the story and the prison of isolation the hero endures, trying to make up for lost time in the place that has been affected by the hand of change.”
As for what the story is about, the Egyptian writer says: “During the film’s short and intense moments, the story of an old man who fights death is shown recovering his memories of a place that was once a desert, then extended urban life, thus reconstructing the place from the details of time.”
Rizk has produced a prolific output of stories, poetry, novels, drama, criticism and screenplay writing, including the book “Chasing Absence. Critical Readings”, the short story collection “For My Heart Is Its Enchanting Blackness†and “Rain in Carmina Buranaâ€.
The film previously won the Jury Prize at the International Indoor Film Festival, held in the Sultanate of Oman in 2022, before winning its final prize at the Saudi Film Festival, held from 4 to May 11.
More movies about loneliness.
About the spirit of the film and the purpose of showing it, it was stated on director Nawaf Al-Janahi’s website that perhaps because loneliness is the most common struggle that man is faced every day, especially in big cities, film tries through the magical abilities of cinema to explore this question, and we still need more loner films in the world.
Al-Janahi also presented the film “Mirrors of Silence” about loneliness.
15 minutes of silent cinema
The film lasts only 15 minutes, and without dialogue, but relies on image, rhythm and music, with the participation of a team of several nationalities, including the Emirati director and producer Nawaf Al-Janahi, the writer Egyptian Mamdouh Rizk, Portuguese photographer Ricardo Prats. , Lebanese editor Ali Salloum and Bahraini production manager Nouf Al-Sibai. .
The film stars Yehia Abdel Rasoul, Michaela Carrizo and Ahmed Saeed, with original music by musician Ibrahim Al Amiri and sound design by Taha Al Ajami.
International festivals and awards
The film “A Place in Time†has participated in several international film festivals, the first was the Chicago International Film Festival 2020 in the United States, while its first Arab screening was at the Ismailia International Film Festival 2021 in Egypt, then at the Imdgassen International Film Festival in Algeria, which took place from May 10 to 14.
As for the awards, he won the Jury Prize at the 2022 International Interior Film Festival in the Sultanate of Oman, and a Special Mention to the Director at the 2022 Bahrain Film Festival, in addition to his last prize, which is the Palme d’Or. for the Gulf Short Narrative Film at the Saudi Film Festival 2023.
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