“To a Land Unknown” by Palestinian-Danish director Mahdi Fleifel, won the Grand Prix in the European Feature Film Competition at the 37th Premiers Plans festival in Angers.
The film is about two Palestinian cousins in Athens, refugees, living on the edge. They have to steal and scam their way to get enough money to buy false passports and thus break free to Germany, where they dream of being able to rebuild their lives. But this need for money pushes them too far, and in their quest for a better future they leave a part of themselves behind.
Born in Dubai in 1979, Mahdi Fleifel grew up in the Ain el-Helweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon. In 1988 his family went into exile in Denmark, where he still lives today. He graduated from the UK’s National Film and Television School and in 2010 launched Nakba Film, a production company, with Patrick Campbell with whom he directed several short films. In 2012 he directed his first feature-length documentary, A World Not Ours, which won thirty awards (Berlinale, CPH:DOX, Yamagata, DOC:NYC, etc.).
Distributed by Eurozoom, To a Land Unknown is scheduled for cinema release in France on March 12th 2025.
Sources: Cineuropa, Premiers Plans, Palestine FCE
