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The prestigious Berlin International Film Festival has revealed that Yunan, directed and penned by Ameer Fakher Eldin, is among the 19 films vying for the coveted Golden Bear at its 75th edition, set to occur from February 13 to 23, 2025. Notably, Yunan will represent the only Arab film in the Main Competition lineup.

This film is poised to make its world premiere at the festival, following a successful awards circuit. Yunan previously premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, where it was honored with the Edipo Re award in 2021. It has also received multiple accolades, including the Best Arab Film Award and the Shadi Abdel-Salam Award for Best Film at the Cairo International Film Festival.

Featuring a diverse cast of pan-Arab and international actors, Yunan is a collaborative production involving Germany, France, Italy, and Palestine. The lead role is played by Lebanese actor Georges Khabbaz, alongside talents such as Sibel Kekilli, Ali Souleyman, Hanna Schygulla, and Laura Sophia Landauer. The film’s score is composed by Suad Bushnaq.

The narrative follows a disillusioned Arab writer who abandons his exiled existence in Hamburg to embark on a journey to a secluded North Sea island, grappling with suicidal thoughts. There, he meets an elderly woman whose quiet compassion reignites his desire to live.

Produced by Red Balloon Film, Les Films Du Veyrier, Intramovies, and Fresco Films, Yunan will be distributed throughout the Arab world by MAD Solutions. This film marks the second chapter in Fakher Eldin’s Home trilogy, which commenced with The Stranger. The director describes Yunan as a profound exploration of estrangement, exile, and the emotional weights of the past, present, and future.

Fakher Eldin states: “Yunan is a narrative of salvation and rebirth. It addresses the chasms that widen as we experience exile, between the indelible past and the present, and between the present and an elusive future. It delves into themes of loneliness and depression, particularly the kind that afflicts those who grapple with unbearable emotions and find themselves ensnared in despair.”

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