EXCLUSIVE: MAD World, the film sales arm of Cairo-based MAD Solutions, has acquired global rights to Lebanese director Sarah Francis’ tense couple drama Dead Dog ahead of its premiere in the Rotterdam Film Festival’s Harbor contemporary cinema strand.
Written and directed by Francis, the movie explores the temporary reunification of Aida with husband Walid who returns to their home in Lebanon after many years working abroad.
An emotional gulf has developed during his absence and the encounter is uneasy, as each tries to understand the other. A revelation about their beloved dog Pluto only serves to deepen the chasm.
Chirine Karameh, an established theatre performer and actress, co-stars opposite Nida Wakim, who starred in last year’s award-winning Lebanese thriller Zaman Dark by Christophe Karabache.
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MAD Solutions co-founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab said they had been drawn to the drama for its exploration of the impact on families of its members living apart to make ends meet.
“It’s an all-too-common practice in the Middle East, one that has been known to cause much tension when these families inevitably reunite, whether in a short-term context like a vacation or a long-term one like permanent resettlement,” they said.
“And yet, it’s not often that we see films exploring the topic in-depth; if anything, it’s usually mentioned in a throw-away comment, never to be addressed again… So, when an accomplished director like Sarah Francis came to us with a film that finally tackles this intriguing Arab social phenomenon, we couldn’t resist.”
Dead Dog is Beirut-born filmmaker Francis’s third feature film after documentary Birds of September (2013), which premiered in the main competition of CPH:DOX, and Above So Below, which premiered at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival as part of the Forum sidebar.
The movie is produced by Lara Abou Saifan at Beirut-based Placeless Films (Valley of Exile, The Jacket) and Francis, and co-produced by Marine Vaillant of French company Dewberries Films (Les Chenilles, Somewhere in Between) with Niam Itani, Carole Mezher and Mary Jirmanus Saba as associate producers.
“We are truly thrilled to celebrate the Dead Dog world premiere at Rotterdam alongside a rich selection of innovative works and a special community of film lovers; we couldn’t have hoped for a better place to start this journey!” said Francis and producer Saifan.
“We really look forward to collaborating with MAD Solutions. With their understanding of the film market, they will play an essential role in broadening the film’s outreach, carrying it into the world, and bringing it to screens everywhere.”
Dead Dog adds to a growing slate of MAD World and MAD Distribution titles that are premiering at major upcoming international film festivals including next month’s Berlinale including the recently announced acquisitions of The Settlement and Têtes Brûlées.
The movie was shot in Lebanon following a Green Shoot Protocol, with key crew including Valley of Exile cinematographer Mark Khalife, editor Zeina Aboul-Hosn (Birds of September), and a score by Rabih Gebeile and sound design by Victor Bresse (Souad, In The Last Days of the City).
It was developed with the support of a number of labs, film funds and co-financing meetings spanning the Doha Film Institute, OIF Fond Image de la Francophonie, the Red Sea Fund, the Aflamuna Connection, Qumra, Cinephilia Cannes Bound and the Jordanian Royal Film Commission’s Rawi Screenwriter’s Lab. It also won the El Gouna Film Festival’s CineGouna Platform Award at the Beirut Cinema Platform.
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