Directed and Written by Ameer Fakher Eldin
Produced by Dorothe Beinemeier, Catherine Chagnon, Marco Valerio Fusco and Micaela Fusco
With Georges Khabbaz, Hanna Schygulla, Ali Suliman, Sibel Kekilli, Tom Wlaschiha and Nidal Al Achkar
As Munir (Georges Khabbaz) embarks on a journey to a remote island to contemplate a drastic decision, he is haunted by a cryptic parable passed down by his mother. In the newfound stillness of his isolated island sanctuary, he encounters the enigmatic Valeska (Hanna Schygulla) and her rough, loyal son Karl (Tom Wlaschiha). Although few words are spoken, simple acts of kindness begin to overcome suspicion, easing Munir’s burden and reawakening his desire for life.
CANADA, GERMANY, ITALY | 2025 | German and Arabic with English subtitles
Ameer Fakher Eldin / Director and Writer
Ameer Fakher Eldin is a Germany-based writer and director, born in 1991 in Kyiv, Ukraine, to Syrian parents from the Golan Heights. His debut feature film, The Stranger, premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival (Giornate degli Autori), where it received the Edipo Re Award. The film went on to represent Palestine as its official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.
The Stranger continued its success at the 43rd Cairo International Film Festival, winning the Best Arab Film award and the Shadi Abd El Salam Prize for Best Film in the International Critics’ Week Competition. It also garnered recognition at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, with a nomination for Best Director and a win for Best Cinematography.
Catherine Chagnon / Producer
In 2010, Catherine Chagnon founded Microclimat Films, a Quebec company dedicated to cinema outside the box. In 2021, Caroline Monnet’s feature Bootlegger opened the 50th Festival nouveau cinema and won the 2022 Prix Iris in the category of the Most Successful Film Outside Quebec.