To a Land Unknown
United Kingdom/Greece/Saudi Arabia/Qatar/Palestine/Denmark/Netherlands/France/Germany | 2024 | Arabic, English, Greek | 105 min | Fiction/Crime/Thriller | DCP
Synopsis
Chatila and Reda are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens. But when Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his dangerous drug addiction, Chatila hatches an extreme plan, which involves them posing as smugglers and taking hostages in an effort to get him and his bestfriend out of their hopeless environment before it is too late.
Credits
| Original Title | To a Land Unknown |
| English Title | To a Land Unknown |
| Country | United Kingdom, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Palestine, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Germany |
| Exhibition Format | DCP |
| Director | Mahdi Fleifel |
| Producer | Geoff Arbourne, Mahdi Fleifel |
| Screenplay | Fyzal Boulifa, Mahdi Fleifel, Jason McColgan |
| Cinematography | Thodoris Mihopoulos |
| Cast | Mahmood Bakri, Angeliki Papoulia, Aram Sabbagh. Manal Awad |
Company
Salaud Morisset
Paul Jullien
paul@salaudmorisset.com
Director
Mahdi Fleifel
Denmark, Palestine
Born in Dubai, Mahdi Fleifel lives and works between Denmark, England, and Greece. A graduate of the British National Film C Television School, he founded the London-based production company Nakba FilmWorks in 2010. Fleifel’s latest film, TO A LAND UNKNOWN, premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) at Cannes 2024 to critical and audience acclaim. With over 100 festival screenings, 20 awards, and a Gotham Award nomination for Best Breakthrough Director, the film is set for theatrical release in more than 30 countries, cementing his reputation as a bold voice in contemporary cinema. His debut feature, A WORLD NOT OURS, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won over 30 awards, including the Berlinale Peace Prize and the Grand Jury Prizes at Edinburgh and DOC:NYC. In 2016, Fleifel won the Silver Bear at Berlinale for A MAN RETURNED, which was also nominated for the European Film Awards. His Cannes-selected A DROWNING MAN later earned a BAFTA nomination, while I SIGNED THE PETITION won Best Documentary Short at IDFA. His short 3 LOGICAL EXITS premiered at IFF Rotterdam.
