BERLINALE 2017: Panorama GHOST HUNTING by Raed Andoni
Above: Atef Al-Akhras and Amar Ouda by Camille Cottagnoud
Original title:Istiyad Ashbah, 94 min, Palestine/France/Switzerland/Qatar, color, 2017, Arabic with English subtitles, world premiere
Screenings: TBA
Raed Andoni and Wadee Hanani (' assistant director') are available for interviews.
Palestinian filmmaker Raed Andoni heads to Berlin with a haunting memory of his time as a political prisoner. For 25 years, the image of an 18-years- old boy, head covered with a bag and handcuffed, sitting in a prison yard, has been replaying in head and Andoni sets out to confront his ghosts. As he explains: "the pattern of dominance and submission - to the other and the self - repeat themselves endlessly, both in and out of prison. Traumas land in the bottom of the souls. GHOST HUNTING was born out of a need to express this reality.
Like his previous film FIX ME (Sundance, Cannes 2010) in which he subjects himself to psycho-analysis to deal with similar demons, GHOST HUNTING is a personal exploration of pain and how to overcome it. By inviting a group of survivors of the same system to literally build and recreate their prison cells, Andoni makes GHOST HUNTING a collective experience in which humor and healing break through the barrier between fact and fiction with hauntingly stylized scenes and poignant animation.
Andoni auditioned fellow Palestinian ex-prisoners to participate in GHOST HUNTING, with two golden rules: he was not going to ask anyone why they were incarcerated and everyone was free to leave any time they felt uncomfortable. In a large empty warehouse this eclectic group of construction workers, an actor, a goldsmith, an artist and a interior designer begin to rebuild the prison based on their memories. As the walls of the cells rise, their tongues and the emotions loosen. By reenacting their memories, they confront their deepest fears with great courage and the sense of humor that has helped them survive all those years. Healing becomes a possibility as their children and wives visit the set - creating an emotionally powerful reality in front of Andoni's camera.
Raed Andoni (1967) is a Palestinian director and producer, active since 1997 as the co-founder of two production companies: DAR FILMS in Palestine, and LES FILMS DE ZAYNA in Paris. His first documentary as a director, IMPROVISATION (2005), follows the Palestinian Joubran family as they create the musical OUD. For his first feature-length film, FIX ME (2009) Andoni filmed twenty of his psychotherapy sessions in Ramallah, Palestine. Featuring a Woody Allen-esque array of characters, including members of his own family, FIX ME explores the need for finding individuality in a place so dominated by politics and collective identity.
World sales:
UDI - Urban Distribution International
+33.1.48.704656
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