CIFF World BARAKAH MEETS BARAKAH web 2

Barakah Meets Barakah

(Barakah Yoqabil Barakah)

Year 2016
Runtime 88 mins
Language Arabic
Subtitles English

Barakah (Hisham Fageeh) is a municipal official whose job requires him to maintain order and morality in public spaces around the city. One day, while checking on an apparent public space violation, he encounters Bibi (Fatima Al-Banawi), a social media personality. Barakah is immediately smitten by Bibi, but going on a date is a problem in Saudi Arabia where an unmarried man and woman cannot be seen in public. Barakah’s plight is made more difficult as it is his job to stamp out any unlawful behaviour. His internal conflict isn’t helped by his sex-crazed uncle who is constantly urging Barakah to fulfill his desires, or by the fact that Barakah is playing the part of Ophelia in an all male version of “Hamlet”.

Winner of the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival, Mahmoud Sabbagh’s debut film is a hilarious romantic comedy that depicts a refreshing perspective of a nation not associated with love, sex and Shakespeare.

Countries

Saudi Arabia
Awards
Berlin International Film Festival, Ecumenical Jury Prize
Festivals
Official Selection 2016: Berlin, Hong Kong International Film Festival, TIFF
Director
Mahmoud Sabbagh
Executive Producer
Talal Zahid, Mohyedin Kamel, Mahmoud Sabbagh
Screenwriter
Mahmoud Sabbagh
Cinematographer
Victor Credi
Editor
Sofía Subercaseaux, Daniel Garcia, Anas Batahaf
Production Design
Zainab Al Mashat
Music
Zeid Hamdan, Maii Waleed
Cast
Hisham Fageeh, Fatima Al Banawi, Sami Hanafy