MANARA
2019 “Manara” | 16 min | Lebanon
Directed by: Zayn Alexandre
Written by: Pascale Seigneurie
World Premiere: 2019 Giornate degli Autori (Venice Days) | Special Presentation
Arab Distribution: MAD Solutions
SYNOPSIS
Tragedy strikes when the Zayyad family loses its patriarch under mysterious circumstances, leaving the surviving members to fend for themselves within a judgmental community in Southern Lebanon.
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“... Thoughtful and quietly powerful, and feels particularly timely.”
— Film Inquiry
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“Alexandre has something to say about his country’s behavioural and psychological attitudes and it is remarkable what he manages to achieve in such a short time frame.”
— Film Inquiry
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“... A perfect example of how to carefully construct a short film narrative.”
— Bianca Garner, In Their Own League
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“... A poetic and potent exploration of family, grief, rage and anger.”
— James Mottram, The National
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“One of the best Arab short films of 2019.”
— Raseef22
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“... A riveting intrigue filled film with Hitchkockesque elements. Director Zayn Alexandre has skilfully crafted a tale that straddles the genres of a murder mystery but equally examines societal pressure and customs.”
— Franglais27 Tales
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“Troubled family relationships, loss of communication, carefully curated appearances. Such are the themes of this powerful film, broached in a way that implicates the viewer, but does not give all the answers, leaving room for varying interpretations.”
— Mazen Fawzy
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"... Alexandre proves an avid autodidact director able to turn-in a career-defining performance on his part, whilst leading his cast to deliver subtextual micro-moments impossible to depict on the pages of a screenplay. Alexandre's directorial tenacity in letting the camera linger on and the void of silence prevail in its awkward pauses is to be commended. Manara is a rare, authentic, understated drama. One of the best of 2020's, a year that sees many of us walking the tightrope of mental illness and mental health due to the pandemic."
★★★★1/2
Adrian Perez
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"Seigneurie and Alexandre excel in their respective roles and engross audiences for the entire fifteen-minute film."
— Film Threat
Original Soundtrack Album
Available Now
Festival
Highlights
*World Premiere: 2019 Venice Film Festival - 16th Giornate degli Autori | Special Screening
*Winner: ‘Silver Hypatia Award’ - 6th Alexandria Short Film Festival
*Nominated: ‘Tanit d’Or’ - 2019 Carthage Film Festival
*Winner: 2020 ÉCU - The European Independent Film Festival, ‘The Ahmed Khedr Award for Excellence in Arab Filmmaking’
*Winner: ‘Laguna Sud Award’ for Best Short Film - 5th edition of Laguna Sud, Il Cinema fuori dal Palazzo (Laguna Sud, The Cinema Outside the Palace)
*Winner: 2020 Lonely Wolf: London International Film Festival, ‘Best Foreign Film’
*Winner: 2021 Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, ‘Best Short Film’
*Winner: 2020 Elba Film Festival, "Best Actor"
*Nominated: 2021 New Filmmakers Los Angeles (Co-hosted by AMPAS and AFMI), ‘Best Screenplay’
*Nominated: 2021 Reykjavik International Film Festival, ‘The Golden Egg’
*Official Selection: 5th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF), Black Box Cinema
