Batata
Qumra Projects
Noura Kevorkian / Feature Documentary / Lebanon, Canada, Qatar / 2018
In Arabic
Interests: Social Issues, Immigration, Identity, Creative Documentary
Rated: Mature subject matter. Not suitable for minors. Individuals under the age of 18 are not admitted into cinemas.
- Come back soon to see screening dates
Synopsis
The story of ‘Batata’ starts in the year 2009, in the beautiful fields of Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, where colourfully dressed Syrian migrant workers plant and harvest potatoes. Through Maria, the main subject of the film, we meet her extended migrant worker family and experience the rhythm of their daily lives. With every potato-planting season, political events affect their lives. But when the Syrian revolution begins in March 2011, everything changes. The story takes a darker turn as the civil war accelerates and the crisis intensifies, with hundreds of thousands of refugees flooding into Lebanon. The tent villages soon grow into tent cities, and the future for Maria and her countrymen looks ever bleaker. Shot over an astounding eight years, this epic documentary offers for the first time a view into the life of a strong, charismatic Syrian woman set against the backdrop of war and refugees.
About the Director
Noura Kevorkian is a Lebanese-Canadian filmmaker. Along with her film studies, Kevorkian holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto, specialising in Economics and Middle East Studies. She made her filmmaking debut with the multi-award winning short ‘Veils Uncovered’ (2002), which was followed by her feature-length debut ‘ANJAR: Flowers, Goats and Heroes’ (2009). Her ‘23 Kilometres’ (2015) was selected for the Official Competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Kevorkian is currently directing ‘Batata’, her second feature-length documentary.
Credits
- Director
- Noura Kevorkian
- Producer
- Noura Kevorkian, Paul Scherzer
- Production Company
- Sareen Films