200 Meters
DFI Cinema - Doha Film Institute
Ameen Nayfeh / Palestine, Jordan, Qatar, Italy, Sweden / 2020 / 96 min / Colour / DCP2K / In Arabic, English, Hebrew / Arabic, English subtitles
Themes: Drama, Road Trip, Thriller
Rated: 
Mature subject matter. May not be suitable for minors. Individuals under the age of 15 are not admitted into cinemas
Description
Mustafa (Ali Suliman) and his wife Salwa live a mere 200 metres apart in two Palestinian villages, separated by a dividing wall. One day he gets a call every parent dreads—his son has been in an accident. Rushing to cross the Israeli checkpoint, Mustafa is denied on a technicality. But a father’s love won’t give up, and he will do anything to reach his son. A 200-metre distance becomes a 200-kilometre odyssey. Mustafa, left with no choice, attempts to smuggle himself to the other side of the wall.
Seasoned trafficker Nader is willing to help but for a price. One that is shared between a motley crew of fellow passengers who join Mustafa on his endeavour. There’s the young and brash Rami, artsy activist Kifah and German photographer Anne, who attempts to film the whole experience. Caught between two divided worlds, where distance is relative, the film beautifully closes the gap both geographically and emotionally between its characters and subject matter. The depiction of everyday life in the Occupied Territories and the obstacles the people there face are a universal appeal to breaking down barriers the world over.
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
Director
Ameen Nayfeh
Ameen Nayfeh was born in Palestine in 1988 and spent his formative years moving between Jordan and Palestine. Despite an early interest in filmmaking, in 2010 he earned his BSc in Nursing from Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem. Two years later, he attained an MFA in film producing from the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts in Jordan. Ameen Nayfeh’s previous films include ‘The Crossing’ (2017), ‘Suspended Time / Zaman Muaalaq’ (2014), the documentaries ‘The Eid Gift’ (2012), and ‘The Uppercut’ (2012). ‘200 Meters’ is his first feature film.
Credits
- Screenwriter
- Ameen Nayfeh
- Producer
- May Odeh
- Cinematographer
- Elin Kirschfink
- Editor
- Kamal El Mallakh
- Music
- Faraj Suliman
- Cast
- Ali Suliman, Lana Zreik, Samia Bakri, Tawfeeq Nayfeh, Maryam Nayfeh, Salma Nayfeh, Anna Unterberger, Mahmoud Abu Eita, Nabil Al Raai, Ghassan Abbas