Info:

Screening format: DCP
Original title: Janain mualaqa
Director: Ahmed Yassin Aldaradji
Writers: Ahmed Yassin Aldaradji, Margaret Glover
Cast: Jawad Al Shakarji, Akram Mazen Ali, Wissam Diyaa, Hussain Muhammad Jalil
Countries of origin: Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia
Language: Arabic
Subtitles: English
Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes

About the film:

In a thought-provoking story set in war-torn Iraq, As'ad and his brother Taha earn a living by scavenging for recyclable materials at a local garbage dump nicknamed the "Hanging Gardens." While sifting through the trash, As'ad discovers an American sex doll and brings it home, much to Taha's horror and disgust. Faced with an ultimatum, As'ad chooses to leave home with the doll and sets up a new residence at the garbage dump. There, he realizes that the doll can be rented out to local men for money. The talented young lead, Hussain Muhammad Jalil, delivers a fantastic performance in Aldaradji’s provocative debut feature. The film explores the complex issues of sexuality and cultural norms in a post-war Iraq, with excellent direction, cinematography, and a truly original concept.

Ahmed Yassin Aldaradji (born 1986, Iraq)

Ahmed Yassin Aldaradji is an Iraqi director and is educated at the University of Baghdad. Hanging Gardens is his first feature film and premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2022 and was later screened at the Red Sea Festival in Saudi Arabia where it won the award for best film.