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"Mahdi Fleifel's passionate, ironic, bittersweet A World Not Ours ... flips storytelling and Mideast-Arab cliches on their heads, while weaving an irresistible mood of amused melancholy." – Variety
Born in Dubai but raised in Denmark, director Mahdi Fleifel's upbringing involved frequent trips to see family and friends in a refugee camp in Lebanon that is home to 70,000 people, in an area roughly one square kilometre. He kept video diaries of his experiences in the camp over three decades, resulting in an incredible archive of footage.
Straddling two different kinds of privilege – on the one hand he has rare access that other filmmakers could never attain; on the other, he is able to leave whenever he wishes – Fleifel offers a multi-layered, personal portrait of life in the camp. With witty English commentary and a jazzy score, the film's tone is upbeat, offering a unique perspective on the plight of Palestinian refugees.
Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Documentary at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival.
D/S Mahdi Fleifel P Patrick Campbell WS MPM Film L Arabic, English w/English subtitles TD DCP/2012