Roffa Mon Amour + Brutus
Film: The Burdened (2023)
Director: Amr Gamal
Date: Tuesday, August 22
Doors open: 20:00
Program starts: 21:15
Location closes: 23:00
Location: Brutus, Keileweg 18, 3029 BS Rotterdam
English subtitles included
Regular ticket: € 11,00 & various discounts
No refunds, we offer substituted screenings if we are forced to cancel the screening
Drinks, popcorn and sweets for sale at the location
The Burdened (2023)
Amr Gamal • 91' • Yemen, Sudan, Saudi Arabia
Dutch Premiere
The film will be introduced by Rosh Abdelfatah, artistic director of Arab Film Festival Rotterdam. He will talk about the film industry in various Arabic countries and why it’s so special this film from Jemen has been made.
About the film
In the port city of Aden, in the southern region of Yemen, Ahmed and Isra’a struggle after having lost their jobs due to the economic crisis. As parents of three children, they find themselves dealing with Isra’a’s unexpected pregnancy. Their problematic financial situation, which forces them to leave their current apartment and move to a wrecked house with no windows and leaking roof, leads them to consider abortion. While Ahmed pushes Isra’a to find a doctor willing to operate, she shows some uncertainties about the abortion, especially because no one seems willing to help.
The Burdened is based on a true story and tackles burning and sensitive social issues, from the Yemeni economic crisis to faith and abortion. In a conservative country like Yemen, such themes are an even more provocative challenge, calling out the difficulties faced by one of the poorest countries in the world.
Premiering at the Berlinale where it won two awards, The Burdened’s beautiful and touching shots, the family story, and the audacious plot show a unique approach to a Yemeni narrative. The Yemeni film industry is very modest, producing only two feature films before 2008. As of 2008, more Yemeni productions have started, with The Burdened’s director Amr Gamal one of its rising stars.
Rosh Abdelfatah