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The biggest problem filmmakers who shoot comedies face is that it is quite difficult to retain the hilarity and keep the audience laughing for the duration of a feature. The solution most find is to switch to drama at some point, with the movies quite frequently ending up as such despite their initial premises. Maha Haj, however, manages to both retain the comedy until the end, and to transition smoothly towards drama after a point in impressive fashion, through a great script that won the best screenplay prize at Cannes (Un Certain Regard) in 2022.

Mediterranean Fever screened at Warsaw Film Festival

40+ aspiring writer Waleed’s life is in shambles. He cannot finish his novel, no matter what he does, and his chronic depression is making things difficult for both him and his family, including his wife, teenage daughter and younger son. His wife wants one more child but he cannot even hear about it,...

It is the director’s second time in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard selection.

Screen can reveal the first trailer for Palestinian director Maha Haj’s second film Mediterranean Fever ahead of its world premiere in Cannes Un Certain Regard.

The drama revolves around an aspiring but depressed writer living in Hafia who befriends his small-time crook neighbour in the hope he will help him with a sinister scheme. Amer Hlehel and Ashraf Farah lead the cast.

Haj’s debut feature Personal Affairs also world premiered in Un Certain Regard in 2016.

Producers are Ger­many’s Pallas Film, France’s Still Moving,...

Haj’s first film ’Personal Affairs’ also screened in Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2016.

Paris-based sales company Luxbox has boarded sales on Palestinian director Maha Haj’s second film Mediterranean Fever, which was announced as a fresh addition to Cannes Un Certain Regard section on Thursday (April 21).

At the same time, Dulac Distribution has also announced its acquisition of French rights for the film.

Haj’s debut feature Personal Affairs also world premiered in Un Certain Regard in 2016.

The new drama revolves around an aspiring but depressed writer living in Haifa who befriends his small-time crook neighbour in the hope...

"Our spy has a problem. Duty is more important than love." Cohen Media Group has debuted an official Us trailer for an indie from Palestine / Israeli titled Tel Aviv on Fire, the latest film from filmmaker Sameh Zoabi (Under the Same Sun). This premiered at the Venice Film Festival last fall, before going on a global tour to other fests including Tiff & Rotterdam. The comedy is about a young Palestinian man who becomes a writer on a popular soap opera in Tel Aviv. His creative career catches fire, until the check point guard and the show's financial backers disagree on how the soap opera should end. Starring Kais Nashif as Salam, along with Lubna Azabal, Yaniv Biton, Nadim Sawalha, Maïsa Abd Elhadi, Salim Daw, Yousef Sweid, Amer Hlehel, Ashraf Farah, and Laëtitia Eïdo. It seems quite clever and bold - worth a watch. Here's the official Us trailer (+ poster) for...