Info:

Screening format: DCP
Original title: علم
Director: Firas Khoury
Writer: Firas Khoury
Cast: Mahmoud Bakri, Sereen Khass, Saleh Bakri, Mohammad Karaki
Countries of origin: Tunisia, Palestine, France, Qatar, United Arab Emirates
Language: Arabic
Subtitles: English
Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes

About the film:

Tamer, a middle-class Palestinian teenager living in a village in the Galilee, leads a regular life as a high school student. His world is transformed when he meets Maysaa’, a confident and beautiful classmate, who sparks a political awakening in him. In an attempt to impress her, Tamer agrees to participate in a secretive flag operation on the eve of Israel's Independence Day, which is a day of mourning for Palestinians.

The film explores the themes of memory and erasure and places a significant focus on educational institutions as a dissenting body that has the potential to question and rewrite history.

Alam received the Audience Award, the Award for Best Actor, and The Golden Pyramid at Cairo International Film Festival in 2022

Firas Khoury (born 1982, Israel)

After completing a BFA in Film from Tel Aviv University, Firas Khoury participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus in 2008. He later taught cinematic expression at the Freedom Theatre in Jenin Camp and founded the Falastinema Group, an organization dedicated to hosting screenings and cinema activities across Palestine. Firas gained recognition for his work when his short film Yellow Mums won Best Short Film at the Jerusalem Film Festival in 2010. In 2019, his short film Maradona's Legs premiered at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Firas Khoury made his feature film debut as a writer and director with Alam, which premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.