MOVIE SCREENING: AFMI FESTIVAL

Please join AFMI & Alliance Française de San Francisco for a special screening of Soudade Kaadan's films The Day I Lost My Shadow and Aziza. Soudade Kaadan is a French-born Syrian filmmaker, currently residing in London. The films in this screening are both Syrian productions co-produced in France or Lebanon.

The Day I Lost My Shadow

It is winter in Damascus. Sana, with her eight-year-old son, is living alone while her husband works in Saudi Arabia. When Sana runs out of gas to cook or warm the house, she takes a day off to find a gas cylinder. From there begins a trip into the surroundings of Damas, where Sana finds herself brutally confronted with the effects of war.

Festivals & Awards:

• Luigi De Laurentiis Award - Best Debut Film Award - Venice International Film Festival 2018
• World Fiction Award - Special Jury Prize - Los Angeles Film Festival 2018
• Awards for Best Feature and Performance - Vancouver International Women in Film Festival 2019
• El Gouna Film Festival 2018
• London Film Festival 2018

Aziza

Ayman, Syrian refugee in Lebanon, teaching his wife how to drive his car, the only thing left for him from his country. The lesson takes a wrong turn into madness and nostalgia.

Festivals & Awards:

• Short Film Grand Jury Prize - Sundance Film Festival 2019
• Silver Hugo Award - Best Narrative Short Film - Chicago International Film Festival 2019
• AFI Fest 2019
• Dokufest 2019

Filmmaker bio: Soudade Kaadan is a Syrian director, born in France in 1979, based in London. She studied theater criticism in the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Syria and filmmaking at Saint Joseph University (IESAV) Lebanon. Her first feature fiction film The Day I Lost my Shadow was awarded the Lion of The Future for best debut at the 2018 Venice Film Festival, and the jury prize for directing at the LA Film Festival, and screened at various festivals including TIFF, BFI London, Busan and IFFR. Her short film Aziza won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2019.