Palestinian film ‘A House in Jerusalem' now available on Shahid
Arabic streaming platform Shahid has released Palestinian filmmaker Muayad Alayan's third feature film, A House in Jerusalem.
Directed by Muayad Alayan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rami Alayan, A House in Jerusalem made its world premiere at the 2023 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). The film has garnered recognition at various renowned festivals worldwide, including the Boston Palestine Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival in the United States, as well as the Mostra de Valencia—Cinema del Mediterrani in Spain, the Athens Palestine Film Festival in Greece, and the Palestinian Film Festival in Australia.
Notably, A House in Jerusalem was the sole Arab project selected for the 36th edition of the IFFR Pro's Production Market.
Featuring an ensemble cast including Johnny Harris, Makran Khoury, Souad Feres, Miley Locke, and Sheherazade Makhoul Farrell, A House in Jerusalem follows the journey of young Rebecca, who is compelled to relocate with her father from the UK to Jerusalem in the hopes of finding solace and healing following her mother's sudden passing.
As Rebecca settles into an old house in a neighbourhood known as the 'Valley of the Ghosts,' a series of mysterious events unfold, with Rebecca bearing the blame. The film delves deep into the mysteries of the house and the mystical city of Jerusalem, as Rebecca embarks on an enigmatic quest to uncover the secrets that lurk in the shadows of the house.
The film's production involved collaboration among several entities, including PalCine Productions in Palestine, Wellington Films in the UK, Red Balloon Films in Germany, Metafora Production in Qatar, and Key Film. MAD Solutions is managing the distribution of the film across the Arab world.
The film also received several development funds from the Doha Film Institute, Netherlands Film Fund, MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, British Film Institute, and French Consulate General Jerusalem. Additionally, it received the Filmmore Postproduction Award and the AFAC's Cinema Grant.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
What's On
6 hours ago
- What's On
top events happening in Abu Dhabi this August
Abu Dhabi is turning up the heat this August with a vibrant mix of family fun, live music, and exciting rewards. Catch the action-packed Paw Patrol Live: The Great Pirate Adventure, experience the soulful sounds of Faraj Suleiman and don't miss your chance to win big while dining at Summer Pit Stop. Whether you're planning a fun day out with the kids or a cultural evening, there's plenty to enjoy in the capital this month. Paw Patrol Live: The Great Pirate Adventure Image: Archive Ahoy, mateys! Get ready for a swashbuckling good time as Paw Patrol Live! sails into Abu Dhabi for the first time ever with a brand-new show, The Great Pirate Adventure . Taking over Etihad Arena, this high-energy stage production brings Ryder and the pup squad to life in a thrilling pirate-themed quest. Packed with catchy tunes, exciting surprises and all your little ones' favourite characters, this interactive adventure is perfect for families and fans of the hit TV show. And remember, no job is too big, no pirate pup is too small! Location: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi Date: 29 to 31 August Time: Times vary, depending on day Seat categories & prices: Royal – Dhs350 VIP – Dhs275 Platinum – Dhs245 Gold – Dhs145 Silver – Dhs95 Tickets: Faraj Suleiman: Live in Concert Get ready for an unforgettable night of music as acclaimed Palestinian composer, pianist and vocalist Faraj Suleiman makes his long-awaited UAE debut this summer. Taking the stage at The Red Theater at The Arts Center, Faraj will perform live with a full band on Friday, August 29 at 7.30pm, delivering a spellbinding set that blends emotion, rhythm, and cinematic flair. Known for his genre-defying sound fusing Arabic melodies with jazz, rock, and classical influences Faraj's music is both playfully intricate and deeply moving. Expect to hear tracks from his breakthrough album Better Than Berlin , alongside selections from his most recent and introspective release, Maryam . The album unfolds like a story: it begins with light and romance, and gradually shifts into darker reflections on grief, loss, and transformation. It's a powerful expression of today's emotional landscape, wrapped in folk-inspired instrumentation and tender vocals. Location: The Red Theater, The Arts Center, NYU Abu Dhabi Date: Friday, August 29, 2025 Time: 7.30pm Tickets: From Summer Pit Stop: Dine & Win Big Image: Archive Yas Bay Waterfront and Yas Marina are keeping the summer vibes going strong this August and there's still time to win big. Until August 31, dine at any of the 25+ participating venues and enter for a chance to score exclusive Abu Dhabi GP Race Week experiences. Every Dhs100 you spend gets you one entry into the prize draw. Eat, enjoy, and increase your chances to win with every receipt. Up for grabs this August: Bonus Prize Draws – Win Race Week trackside experiences for two. Next Draws: August 11 & August 25 Expect high-speed thrills, fan zones, live music and more. Grand Prize Countdown: All entries also count toward the Grand Prize Draw on September 2, a VIP Mega Fan Experience for Four, with 360-degree circuit views, premium hospitality, and the most immersive way to enjoy the Abu Dhabi GP. How to Enter: Dine at Yas Bay Waterfront or Yas Marina Spend a minimum of AED 100 Upload your receipt at Keep your original receipt — you'll need it to claim your prize Location: Yas Bay Waterfront & Yas Marina Date: Until August 31, 2025 Entry: Dhs100 gets you 1 entry Upload Receipts: > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
Broadcast Pro
a day ago
- Broadcast Pro
Lebanese documentary ‘Diaries From Lebanon' to screen in Kenya
The film is a multinational co-production between Lebanon, France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Lebanese director Myriam El Hajj's feature-length documentary Diaries From Lebanon is set to make its Kenyan debut with a series of four screenings at Unseen Nairobi, beginning August 7 and continuing on August 14, 21 and 29. El-Hajj's documentary delves into the lives of Georges, Joumana and Perla Joe, each representing a different generation with unique perspectives on reshaping Lebanon. However, as the country grapples with disruptions and personal quests unfold, they are confronted with the question — can our dreams survive in a world in turmoil? Diaries From Lebanon (in Arabic Mitl 'Osas el Hob, or Like Love Stories) is a joint production between Lebanon, France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The film was written, directed, and co-filmed by Myriam El Hajj, with contributions from Jihad Saadé and Mohamed Siam. It was produced by Georges Schoucair of Abbout Productions (Lebanon) and Laurent Ruszniewski of GoGoGo Films (France). Anita Perez and Stéphanie Sicard handled the editing. MAD World, a subsidiary of MAD Solutions, is responsible for the film's global sales. The documentary features author and activist Joumana Haddad, Lebanese war veteran Georges Moufarej, and artist and activist Perla Joe Maalouli. Diaries From Lebanon received support from various organisations, including the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée (CNC), the Fonds Image de la Francophonie, Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, International Media Support (IMS), Visions Sud Est with the support of the SDC, and the Lebanese Film Fund-an Initiative of the Fondation Liban Cinema. Additionally, the film received funding from the Doha Film Institute, the Red Sea Fund and the Atlas Workshops of the Marrakech International Film Festival, and won the Mactari Mixing Auditorium Award and Titra Films Award at the Final Cut in Venice Workshop.
Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
Art of summer: Artbooth Gallery show captures spirit of season
Artbooth Gallery, a leading art space in the national capital, is hosting Summered, a group exhibition that brings together a constellation of artists whose expressive works span continents and sensibilities (July 21 – Sept. 7). The public can immerse themselves in a universe where summer turns into an inner season, a state of mind or a breath of inspiration that ties together nature, memory, and imagination. Soraya Abu Naba'a, Gilbert Halaby, Asaad Arabi, James Matthews, Habuba Farah, Noor Bahjat, Bruno Sfeir, Oussama Diab, Layal Khawly and Elias Naman, are the artists who create a dialogue through works that blend contrast, symbolism, vibrant forms, and sculpted silences. From the dreamlike and meticulous florals of Soraya Abu Naba'a to the introspective paintings of Gilbert Halaby, Summered reveals, through each work, a fragment of a personal world that opens itself to collective reflection. Asaad Arabi's composition Gate of dream. James Matthews, a visual artist and educator based in Abu Dhabi since 2007, brings to the exhibition a visual language shaped by international experience. Asaad Arabi offers lyrical cityscapes where colours dance like suspended musical notes, while Habuba Farah weaves geometric abstraction into a poetic modernity, rooted in sound and rhythm. Noor Bahjat presents surreal and densely narrative self-portraits, while Bruno Sfeir explores interior worlds with symbolic depth. Oussama Diab expresses displacement and memory with gentle irony and sharp cultural references. Layal Khawly, penultimately through architectural compositions, seeks unity between art and social engagement. Finally Elias Naman, a sculptor of silence, reveals raw, pure, and timeless emotion through hand-carved stone. Elias Naman's work titled Fragment of Humanity I. Soraya was born to a Palestinian father and a mother of Lebanese descent. She spent her childhood life in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Travelling has had a huge impact on her visual language and meeting people from different countries, ignited an interest in their life stories. Gilbert Halaby (b. 1979) is a self-taught, multi-disciplinary artist and renowned designer who was born in a village in Mount Lebanon. He is known for producing a wide variety of art and written work that spans paintings, sculptures, poems and letters. Born in Damascus (1941), Asaad Arabi, in different series throughout his lengthy career, has skilfully used composition and colour in harmony, creating unity between the different aspects of his work. In the defined colour blocks of his abstract works, viewers gradually discern figures, architectural forms and patterns, while in his figurative works, bodies are painted in hues that merge with their environments. James Matthews is a British artist known for various styles, including Impressionist and Modern landscapes and portrait sculpture. He also works with woodblock and mixed media prints, often incorporating themes of culture, environment and sustainability related to the UAE, particularly using date palm tree paper. Ousamma Diab's Man and shadow. Over the course of a lifelong creative journey, Habuba Farah (b. 1931) has established a distinctive artistic identity through dynamic abstract compositions that explore colour, geometry, and movement. Her style, is often described as 'Lyrical Geometric Abstraction'. 'I identify as a woman and artist of Arab descent,' she once said, reflecting on how her artistic practice embodies both her Brazilian upbringing and Arab heritage. She was born into a family of Lebanese immigrants who settled in Brazil in the early 20th century. Noor Bahjat is a surrealist self-portrait artist working in an expressionistic style with a primarily figurative subject matter. After a visit to the Philippines, her palette and visual narrative drastically changed, moving away from dark and static compositions towards illuminated backgrounds, incorporating elements of nature and water in her portraits. Bruno Sfeir is an Uruguayan-Lebanese painter, who, in his extensive career, has created works across various mediums, exploring a wide range of themes. His art has travelled around the globe; each piece reflects a deep internal process, rooted in meditation. Vertigo Skyline by Noor Bahjat. Due to his background as a stateless Palestinian, Oussama Diab has always been a refugee, including in his native country, Syria. His work reflects the questions relating to humanity and freedom, justice and injustice, violence and struggle, human suffering and loss. But despite having experienced war and loss first-hand, he has always been moved by compassion and by hope too – another feature he wants to express in his work. He is not primarily concerned with political issues, but with the principles of humanity. Layal Khawly is a Lebanese visual artist and painter. Khawly decided to use her art for the common good, allowing those who cannot express themselves to be represented through her, thus allowing nobody to truly ever feel alone. Without preparatory sketches or machinery, Elias Naman sculpts by hand, forging an unfiltered dialogue between artist and stone. His work explores themes of identity, spirituality and the human condition, working to capture fleeting emotions in enduring materials. Work titled Still life by Soraya Abu Naba'a. Summered is more than an ode to the blazing light of the season. It is a journey through the inner landscapes of being, an invitation to contemplate the world differently, in a time suspended between warmth, reflection, and creation. Together, the artists form an orchestra, each voice distinct, harmonised in shared pursuit: to render visible the unseen layers of the self, of memory, and of belonging. The works transcend aesthetics: they are testaments, heirlooms, and quiet revolutions, each piece a vessel of history, transformation, and vision. Summered is a moment of pause within movement, a season captured not in Fahrenheit, but in feeling. The works are the echoes of a summer lived in full colour, depth, and purpose.
