World Cinema Amsterdam | Internationaal filmfestival | 18 – 27 Augustus 2016

Yahya Al Abdallah | Jordan | 2012 | 88’ | In Arabic | English subtitles

Life of 40-year-old Youssef is definitely spiralling downwards. He works as a taxi driver and lives in a run-down apartment in a poor neighbourhood in the Jordanian capital Amman. He used to be a top salesman at a luxury car dealership and lived in a comfortable house with his beautiful wife. As a gambler Youssef however lost everything one night in a game of poker. Now he spends his days alone with only the visits of his son Imad, who lives with his meanwhile remarried mother, to look forward to. Imad isn’t doing so well either and is mainly busy skipping school.
Then Youssef discovers that he needs to undergo a costly operation. Within the next four days he must figure out how to pay for it. It seems an impossible challenge...

In his first long film director Yahya Al Abdallah uses a lot of dry humour to bring across the absurdities of everyday life in Amman. Chiefly through images; the film contains little dialogue. Al Abdallah, who also wrote the script, shot the film in just eighteen days on a tiny production budget. Received awards at the Dubai and San Sebastian film festivals. Screenings:

Location: Rialto

WED 15 AUG - 19:30 |

Location: De Balie

FRI 17 AUG - 19:45 |

Director is present during the screenings and available for Q&A.