The Journey

Q&A filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji via Skype

2017. 82 m. Mohamed Al-Daradji. Various countries. Arabic with subtitles. Rated NR.

Series

Part poetic, thoughtful profile and part bite-your-nails thriller, The Journey focuses on Sara, who is on the cusp of committing an unthinkable act—to “purify” the busy Baghdad train station from American influence with a bomb—when she runs into a smooth-talking salesman. Audiences will be on the edge of theirs seats as the two interact with a diverse swath of humanity amid the hubbub. This compelling film, set in 2006, when nervous U.S. troops still occupied the city, “is surprisingly old-fashioned, in a good way: Reminiscent not just of Italian neorealism but classic plays by the likes of Saroyan and Wilder, in which small interactions between characters affirm the value of life with all its sorrows and bittersweet joys” (Variety).

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Q&A filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji via Skype

Tuesday, Sep. 25 2018, 7:00

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Iraqi-Dutch filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji was born in Baghdad, where he grew up and studied theater. In 1995 he fled to the Netherlands with a pair of trousers, dirty clothes, and one pair of shoes. Says Al-Daradji: “I am proud of Holland that gave me this great energy and this great opportunity to find myself.” He eventually went to Leeds, England, where he got his Master’s in cinematography and directing. Al-Daradji came to prominence with the release of his documentary Son of Babylon (2009), which premiered at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival. It was developed through the Sundance Institute, where he had been a fellow since 2008. The film premiered at the Berlinale in 2010 and earned him Variety’s Middle East Filmmaker of the Year award, Berlin’s Amnesty Award and Peace Prize, the NETPAC Award at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and a special mention at Edinburgh International Film Festival. Al-Daradji’s award-winning documentaries, which all tackle Middle Eastern politics and their effects on interpersonal relationships, include In My Mother’s Arms (2011) and In the Sands of Babylon (2013).

This film is part of the Contemporary Arab Cinema 2018 series.