Doha Film Institute
  • Log in
Kamal, a 60-year-old Palestinian man, is ordered by an Israeli court in Jerusalem to pay a large social security debt on behalf of his son Wael, who drowned in the Red Sea over 20 years ago, or so Kamal was told.
Kamal is a 60-year-old Palestinian man from East Jerusalem. He lives alone inside the Old City and works at a neighbourhood bakery. One morning, he receives a court order demanding that he pay a large debt owed by his son Wael to the Israeli Social Security Agency. The claim is shocking: Wael drowned in the Red Sea 20 years earlier and was buried in Jerusalem. At the time, Kamal was living in the United States, having left behind his wife, Nawal, and their two children. During his absence, Nawal passed away. Kamal returned isolated and burdened by guilt, despised by his daughter Wafa for abandoning the family. With the help of a lawyer, Kamal discovers there is no official record of Wael’s death. He travels to the Red Sea resort to search hospital archives, uncovering troubling details that raise doubts about what really happened to his son.

Credits

Director
Muayad Alayan
Screenwriter
Muayad Alayan, Rami Alayan
Producer
Muayad Alayan, Rami Alayan
Production Company
PalCine Productions

About the Director

Muayad Alayan
Muayad Alayan is a Palestinian film director and producer whose award-winning work has been seen around the world. His films have been distributed globally and featured at prominent festivals including Berlinale, Rotterdam, Seattle, Tokyo, Clermont-Ferrand and many others. Alayan has worked extensively with youth centres and NGOs promoting cinema culture and infrastructure. He is a member of the E