Director Amr Gamal receives the Amnesty International Film Award at 73rd Berlin International Film Festival for his film Al Murhaqoon (“The Burdened”) which the first Yemini film to participate at the prestigious event (Photo Courtesy: the film’s distributors Mad Film)
The film won the Amnesty International Film Award that comes with a cash prize of €5,000.
The Burdened also won the second prize of the Audience Award following Sira, from director Apolline Traoré.
As part of the Panorama Programme, the film was selected for the first award by a jury that combined internationally acclaimed filmmakers Markus N. Beeko, Lea van Acken and Burhan Qurbani.
The Burdened celebrated its world premiere at the Berlinale on Monday in a full-house screening, gaining a notable appreciation from the audience and critics two days after its media accreditation screening.
The Burdened is the first Yemeni film to play in the official selection of the Berlinale.
It is based on a true story set in Aden, Yemen. The film follows Ahmed, Israa and their three children after they both lose their jobs as a result of an economic crisis.
The film is directed by Amr Gamal, who shares screenwriting credits with Mazen Refaat. The film stars Khaled Hamdan, Abeer Mohammed, Samah Alamrani and Awsam Abdulrahman.
Born in 1983 in Poland, Amr Gamal is an independent Yemeni film and theatre director. In 2003, he received the President’s Award for Playwriting. In 2005, Gamal established the Khaleej Aden Theater Troupe and has written and directed all of the troupe’s theatre productions since.
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