A Man Returned

 

country, year

UK, Lebanon, Denmark, Netherlands, Palestine, 2014

genre

documentary

running time

30’

directed by

Mahdi Fleifel 

languages

Arabic

subtitles 

English subtitles

about the film

Reda is 26 years old. His dreams of escaping the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain El-Helweh ended in failure after three years of being trapped in Greece. He returned with a heroin addiction to life in a camp being torn apart by internal strife and the encroachment of war from Syria. Against all odds he decides to marry his childhood sweetheart. A love story, bittersweet as the life in the camp itself.

trailer

https://www.imdb.com/video/vi824688665/?playlistId=tt5348550&ref_=tt_pr_ov_vi 

about the author

Mahdi Fleifel was raised in the refugee camp Ein el-Helweh in Lebanon and later in a suburb of Helsingør in Denmark. In 2009, he graduated from the National Film and Television School at Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. In 2010, he set up the London-based production company Nakba FilmWorks. His debut feature documentary, A World Not Ours, picked up several awards. His short film, A Man Returned, won the Silver Bear and the European Film Nomination at the Berlinale and his film, A Drowning Man, was in the Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival 2017. His latest film, To a Land Unknown has premiered in Cannes in spring.

festivals and awards

  • Berlin Film Festival 2016: awarded Silver Bear for Short Film and Prix Berlin (EFA European Short Film)
  • Geneva International Film Festival – Tous Écrans, 2016: Best Film Award 
  • Winterthur International Short Film Festival 2016: Main Prize for Best Short Film
  • THESS International Short Film Festival 2016: Winner of the Cinematic Achievement Award
  • VIS Vienna Independent Shorts Festival 2016: Best Film in the International Programme
  • Ismailia International Film Fesitval 2016: Winner of the Jury Prize, Best Short Film 
  • 2ANNAS Riga International Film Festival 2016: Winner of the Grand Prix for Best Short Film
  • Malmö Arab Film Festival 2017: winner of the Best Short Film Award in the Documentary Programme
  • Lago Film Festival 2017: Special Mention from the jury

 

filmography 

– A World Not Ours (2012)

– Xenos (2014)

– 20 Handshakes for Peace (2015)

– A Man Returned (2016)

– A Drowning Man (2017)

– I Signed the Petition (2018)

– 3 Logical Exits (2020)

– To A Land Unknown (2024)