Places Of The Soul
Fall Grant 2015 - Production Stage
Hamida Issa / Feature Documentary / Qatar / 2023 / 73 min / Colour / Original Language: Arabic, English / Interests: Creative Documentary
Synopsis
The story of ‘Places Of The Soul’ follows Qatari filmmaker, Hamida on a journey to Antarctica with an environmental and leadership expedition. The beauty and heartbreaking realities of the worlds most untouched nature was an immensely life changing experience. This leads her to exploring Qatar through a renewed lens, in search of sustainability in her cultural history and the roots of her identity. At the heart of the film is the juxtaposition of two landscapes: the ice desert of Antarctica and the sand desert of Qatar. It is an exploration of duality – between modernity and tradition and nature and civilisation. It is expressed through the eyes of a young woman searching for the places that replenish her soul and a way to inspire change within herself.
Credits
- Director
- Hamida Issa
- Producer
- Justin Kramer, Hamida Issa
- Production Company
- The Film House
About the Director
Hamida Issa is a Qatari filmmaker, writer and producer. She graduated with a BA in Politics from University College London and an MA in Global Cinemas and the Transcultural from SOAS. Hamida has worked for the education team at the Doha Film Institute, and in 2011, she made her first short film, ’15 Heartbeats,’ which premiered at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival. She has made many short films since, including video art and a music video, ‘Gamar’, for the world-renowned Palestinian band 47 Soul. Hamida was the first Qatari woman in history to set foot on Antarctica, and her first feature-length documentary, ‘Places of the Soul’, premiered in Jihlava 2023. Her work explores the themes of spirituality, identity, environmental sustainability, tradition and intangible cultural heritage.
Contacts
-
Main Contact
Justin Kramer
- Company:
- The Film House
- Email:
- justin@thefilmhouse.tv
-
Main Contact
Hamida Issa
- Company:
- Independent
- Email:
- halkawari@gmail.com