Haneen
Spring Grant 2011 - Production Stage
Ossama Bawardi / Short Narrative / Palestine, Jordan, Qatar / 2011 / 18 min / Colour / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Drama
Synopsis
Haneen, a woman in her mid-60s, lives alone in a Palestinian city, estranged from her husband and son. The municipal authorities arrive on her street and hang uniform plastic numbers on all the houses. With her usual determination, Haneen removes her number. She befriends Salem, a new boy in the neighbourhood who steals oranges from her garden, and their relationship deepens when the army arrests his father. The authorities return with a new number and affix it to Haneen’s house. She lives her past and present in solitude and nostalgia, waiting for unanswered letters to be returned.
Credits
- Director
- Ossama Bawardi
- Screenwriter
- Ossama Bawardi
- Producer
- Annemarie Jacir, Ossama Bawardi
About the Director
Oscar-nominated producer Ossama Bawardi began his film career working on ‘Paradise Now’ by Hany Abu Assad and ‘Salt of this Sea’ by Annemarie Jacir. Bawardi produced Jacir’s feature ‘When I Saw You’, winner of Best Asian Film at Berlinale. In 2010, he joined Jacir’s production company Philistine Films, which has established itself at the forefront of independent cinema in the region. Bawardi expanded the company to offer production services and co-productions. He line-produced Amin Matalqa’s ‘The Rendezvous’, Mai Masri’s ‘3,000 Nights’ and Barbara Eder’s ‘Thanks for Bombing’. He produced ‘Wajib’, winner of thirty-six awards. Bawardi is executive producer on ‘The Translator’ by Syrian filmmakers Rana Kazkaz and Anas Khalaf, the highly anticipated ‘Huda’s Salon’ by Hany Abu Assad, and ‘Gaza Weekend’ by Basil Khalil. He produced BAFTA winner ‘The Present’ by Farah Nabulsi. Bawardi is a member of the EAVE Producers Network and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy.
Awards and Festival History
Festivals
Doha Tribeca Film Festival 2011, in the Arab Short Film competition (Qatar)