Berlin: Robert Bosch Foundation Announces Prizes For Arab-German Projects

By Nick Vivarelli

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Lebanese director Lana Daher’s documentary project “Do You Love Me” which will interweave film fragments of the Lebanese civil war and of postwar life with clips of the country’s Bendaly family of pop musicians who were hitmakers during the late 970s and early 1980s, is among winners of the Robert Bosch Foundation’s film prizes for emerging Arab-German filmmakers held within the framework of the Berlinale Talents. 

Egyptian helmer’s Bassam Mortada project “Abo Zabaal 1989,” a feature-length doc which depicts the ramifications that Mortada’s father’s politically motivated 1989 arrest has had on his family and friends to this day, won another Robert Bosch prize.

“Homeless Hearts,” a short fiction film by Lebanon’s Mohammed Sabbagh about two snipers during the Lebanese civil war who, while monitoring access to the city of Beirut, discover their affection for each other, took the third nod.

The jury also gave a special mention to short doc “Fouledh,” by Tunisian director Mehdi Hmili about four workers in Tunisia’s largest steel factory suffering the job’s mental and physical strains and overcoming their pain together.

The three prizes are each worth €60,000 ($67,000).

Launched in 2013, besides cash the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Foundation offers tailor-made workshops to emerging director-producer teams from the Arab world and Germany. The goal is to provide first international co-producing experience and support in the film business as well as to foster the idea of intercultural exchange.