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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) |
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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 |
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OFFICIAL TRAILER
SCREENINGS |
CRITICAL ACCLAIM |
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UPCOMING SCREENINGS
ORAN INTERNATIONAL ARAB FILM FESTIVAL (Oran, ALGERIA) Monday, October 7 at 5:00 PM *Director Anna Fahr will be in attendance for the Q&A For programming info, CLICK HERE FESTIVAL DU FILM LIBANAIS DE FRANCE (Paris, FRANCE) Thursday, October 17th at 8:00 PM For programming info, CLICK HERE *Lead actress Maria Hassan will be in attendance for the Q&A MIDDLE EAST NOW (Florence, ITALY) Sunday the 20th of October at 4:15 PM *Director Anna Fahr and lead actress Maria Hassan will be in attendance for the Q&A PAST SCREENINGS CUENCA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Cuenca, ECUADOR) Tuesday, September 24th at 3:00 PM - CASA DE LA BIENAL For programming info, CLICK HERE LEBANESE FILM FESTIVAL AUSTRALIA (Bankstown, AUSTRALIA) Sunday, August 18th at 6:00 PM - Hoyt Cinemas (Bankstown) For ticketing info, CLICK HERE SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Shanghai, CHINA) Friday, June 14th at 8:40 PM - Palace Cinema (Raffles City ChangNing) Monday, June 17th at 1:00 PM - Premiere Cinema (Jing An Kerry Center) Thursday, June 20th at 6:30 PM - CGV CInemas (Sinar Mas Plaza IMAX) Saturday, June 22nd at 6:30 PM - AMG Cinema (Shanghai Global Harbor) Sunday, June 23rd at 3:30 PM - SFC Shangying Cinema (Dingxiang) For programming info, CLICK HERE For ticketing info, CLICK HERE TORONTO ARAB FILM FESTIVAL (Toronto, ON) Sunday, June 23rd at 7:00pm Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Ave, Toronto, ON For programming info, CLICK HERE *Director Anna Fahr will be in attendance for the Q&A LEBANESE FILM FESTIVAL IN CANADA (Montreal, QC) Sunday, June 2 at 7:30pm J.A. de Sève cinema, 1400 de Maisonneuve Blvd W., Montreal For tickets, CLICK HERE HARLEM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (New York, NY) **WINNER: BEST FILM Sunday, May 26 at 1:45pm Maysles Documentary Center 343 Malcom X. Blvd. For programming info, CLICK HERE KANSAS CITY FILMFEST INTERNATIONAL **WINNER: BEST WORLD CINEMA NARRATIVE FEATURE & AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST WORLD CINEMA (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 CALGARY ARAB FILM NIGHTS (Calgary, Alberta) Sunday, October 22nd at 6:30pm For programming info, CLICK HERE 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 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 “Seamless if not magical.” - A Little Bird Told Me “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 “The film teaches us the endurance of women who weave their lives with the threads given to them, with what was not planned, with the regret of what could have been, and the fear of not knowing where we are going.” - L'Orient Le Jour THEATRICAL RELEASE IN CANADA BYTOWNE CINEMA (Ottawa, ON) Thursday, July 4th at 6:30pm 325 Rideau Street, Ottawa, ON For ticketing info, CLICK HERE *Director Anna Fahr & Co-producer Habib Battah will be in attendance for the Q&A CARNIVAL CINEMAS (Red Deer, AB) Friday, July 5th to Thursday, July 11th at 4:30pm For ticketing info, CLICK HERE CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS (Toronto, ON) Friday, July 5th at 7pm *Director Anna Fahr will be in attendance for the Q&A Saturday, July 6th at 3:30pm Sunday, July 7th at 10:00pm For ticketing info, CLICK HERE THE WESTDALE (Hamilton, ON) Monday, July 8th at 7:00pm *Director Anna Fahr will be in attendance for the Q&A Wednesday, July 10th at 4:00pm Friday, July 12th at 6:00pm For ticketing info, CLICK HERE THE BROADWAY THEATRE (Saskatoon, SK) Wednesday, July 17th at 9:00pm / Broadway Theatre Thursday, July 18th at 7:00pm / Broadway Theatre Saturday, July 20th at 9:00pm / Broadway Theatre Sunday, July 21st at 7:00pm / Broadway Theatre Tuesday, July 23rd at 9:00pm / Broadway Theatre For ticketing info, CLICK HERE INTERVIEWS/PRESS
Anna Fahr's Valley of Exile On the Line - Aug. 17, 2024 Valley of Exile's Anna Fahr talks about telling authentic refugee stories Screenfish - July 7, 2024 Ottawa filmmaker tells the story of sisters escaping war CBC Listen - July 4, 2024 New film premiering at ByTowne Cinema aims to challenge view of Middle East City News Everywhere - July 4, 2024 Valley of Exile: When Coping with War is 'Women's Work' Original Cin - July 4, 2024 Anna Fahr on Bashu, The Little Stranger A Conversation with Norm Wilner, Canadian Features Programmer, TIFF Someone Else's Movie - July 2, 2024 Valley of Exile: A candid film about Syrian refugees in Lebanon Orient Today - June 20, 2024 Shashat Meets Anna Fahr Shashat Media - June 8, 2024 Tallgrass Film Festival releases early sneak peek at at this year’s lineup Wichita Eagle - Aug. 18, 2023 Pass the Remote: ‘Fremont,’ ‘Bottoms,’ ‘Story Ave,’ ‘Valley of Exile’ Local News Matters - August 21, 2023 World & US Premiere Films Unveiling at Cinequest Film Festival 2023 Filmfestivals.com - July 19, 2023 Canadian-Lebanese Drama ‘Valley Of Exile’ About Syrian Refugee Crisis Wraps Challenging Shoot Deadline - Jan. 13, 2022 |
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.
STILLS
For more information, contact: [email protected]
Project supported by:
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