VALLEY OF EXILE Drama | 106 minutes | 2023 | Canada, Lebanon Written and directed by Anna Fahr Produced by Anna Fahr and Lara Abou Saifan Executive Producers: Paul Scherzer and Aeschylus Poulos Distribution: Game Theory Films (Canada) |
Valley of Exile is a beautiful story of resilience made with enough heart and sincerity that you can’t help but feel it’s a story told from the |
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS |
CRITICAL ACCLAIM |
PAST SCREENINGS
KANSAS CITY FILMFEST INTERNATIONAL **WINNER: BEST WORLD CINEMA NARRATIVE FEATURE (Kansas City, MO) **MISSOURI PREMIERE Thursday, April 11 at 7:00pm CDT Ward Parkway Theatre 6 For programming info, CLICK HERE BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL WOMEN FILM FESTIVAL (Beirut, Lebanon) **MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE Tuesday, April 16 at 8:00pm Beirut time Grand Cinemas, ABC Dbayeh (Hall 7) **RED CARPET EVENT - Cast & crew in attendance For programming info, CLICK HERE AFLAM FESTIVAL (Marseille, FRANCE) **FRANCE PREMIERE Friday, April 19 at 10:00am GMT+2, MUCEM For programming info, CLICK HERE **Virtual Q&A with Director Anna Fahr following the screening PHOENIX FILM FESTIVAL (Phoenix, AZ) **ARIZONA PREMIERE Friday, April 5 at 3:15pm MST Saturday, April 6 at 9:00am MST Sunday, April 7 at 2:40pm MST For programming info, CLICK HERE **Director Anna Fahr in attendance CANADIAN FILM FEST (Toronto, ON) TORONTO PREMIERE **WINNER: DGC Ontario Best Director Award Thursday, March 21 at 9:00pm - Scotiabank Theatre For programming info, CLICK HERE **Director Anna Fahr & Co-Producer Habib Battah in attendance SOCIALLY RELEVANT FILM FESTIVAL (New York, NY) NEW YORK PREMIERE **WINNER: GRAND PRIZE - NARRATIVE FEATURE, BEST ACTRESS - NARRATIVE FEATURE Friday, March 15 at 9:15pm - Cinema Village For programming info, CLICK HERE **Director Anna Fahr & Co-Producer Habib Battah in attendance WINDSOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Windsor, Ontario) Friday, October 27 at 3:25pm For programming info, CLICK HERE MOSTRA SAO PAULO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Sao Paulo, Brazil) LATIN AMERICAN PREMIERE **WINNER: Best Art Direction Thursday, October 19th at 7:00pm CIRCUITO SPCINE - BIBLIO. ROBERTO SANTOS ** Sunday, October 22nd at 3:00pm - CINEMATECA SALA GRANDE OTELO ** Sunday, October 29th at 4:00pm - CIRCUITO SPCINE OLIDO Tuesday, October 31st at 6:45pm - CINE SATYROS BIJOU For programming info, CLICK HERE **Director Anna Fahr & Co-Producer Habib Battah in attendance CALGARY ARAB FILM NIGHTS (Calgary, Alberta) Sunday, October 22nd at 6:30pm For programming info, CLICK HERE WARSAW FILM FESTIVAL (Warsaw, Poland) EUROPEAN PREMIERE Saturday, October 7th at 4:30pm Thursday, October 12th at 6:30pm ** Friday, October 13th at 9:00pm ** Saturday, October 14th at 11:00am ** For programming info, CLICK HERE **Director Anna Fahr, Producer Lara Abou Saifan, actor Michel Hourani and Co-Producer Habib Battah in attendance TALLGRASS FILM FESTIVAL (Wichita, Kansas) MIDWESTERN PREMIERE Thursday, October 5th at 12:00pm For programming info, CLICK HERE VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Vancouver, BC) CANADIAN PREMIERE **WINNER: Emerging Canadian Director Award Saturday, September 30th at 9:15pm Sunday, October 1st at 9:00pm For programming info, CLICK HERE **Director Anna Fahr in attendance CINEQUEST FILM FESTIVAL (San Jose, USA) WORLD PREMIERE **WINNER: Jury Award, Best Feature Drama Saturday, August 19th at 7pm and Thursday, August 24th at 11:15am For programming info, CLICK HERE |
“Poetic and powerful… pure cinematic art.” - Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival “Director Anna Fahr portrays the beauty that exists in humanity in even the hardest times.” - Kodoom “A beautiful story of resilience.” - Movie-Blogger.com “Compelling and completely authentic.” - Splash Magazines “Emotional and evocative.” - Sergiu Inizian, Eye For Film “A small jewel of cult cinema.” - Felipe Brida, DVD Magazine “Emotional and clear.” - Film Threat “Superb performances.” - Movie-Blogger.com “A compelling watch.” - Robert K Stephen, Film Critic “A bold testament to the resilience and strength of refugee women.” - The Daily Hive “A beautiful-looking, heartbreaking film that will stick with you long after you’ve stepped away from it and into the light.” - Write Drunk; Edit Drunk “There's a great humanity to Valley of Exile that Hassan and Hosni display with force and delicacy.” - The Asian Cut |
LOGLINE
Two sisters arrive in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley at the onset of the Syrian war, embarking on a journey into exile that tests their loyalty to their country, their family and each other.
SYNOPSIS
Set in the early years of the Syrian war, Valley of Exile chronicles the journey of Rima and Nour, two sisters who find unexpected refuge in a makeshift settlement in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley after fleeing war-torn Damascus. Older sister Rima, who is eight months pregnant, is set on reuniting with her husband and rebuilding their lives in Lebanon while younger sister Nour is determined to find their missing brother and eventually return home to Syria.
In the camp, the sisters forge alliances with other women who are similarly forced to live without the support of family they've lost to the war. This propels them onto separate paths: Rima finds work as a housekeeper, hoping to earn money to rent an apartment before her baby is born, while Nour sets out to investigate their brother's whereabouts, risking her own safety in the process.
As days in the camp turn to weeks, Rima and Nour begin to realize that their journey together into exile is not only a struggle for survival, but ultimately a test of loyalty to their country, their family and each other.
In the camp, the sisters forge alliances with other women who are similarly forced to live without the support of family they've lost to the war. This propels them onto separate paths: Rima finds work as a housekeeper, hoping to earn money to rent an apartment before her baby is born, while Nour sets out to investigate their brother's whereabouts, risking her own safety in the process.
As days in the camp turn to weeks, Rima and Nour begin to realize that their journey together into exile is not only a struggle for survival, but ultimately a test of loyalty to their country, their family and each other.
For more information, contact: anna@morningbirdpictures.com
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