Nourhane, a child's dream
Nourhane was a singer and actress in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.
She put a sudden end to her career and retreated away from the stage in the mid-60s.
From that point on, she never spoke about her past, nor did she sing.
Her grand-daughter goes into the world of filmmaking and at the age of 21 discovers her grandmother's past. From that point on, she is on a quest to find out as much as possible about her grandmother's career and life, and particularly about why her grandmother left a career at its height.
Layers and layers of stories emerge through interviews, voice-overs, drawings, and animated sequences in a film centered around passion, and love.
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May KassemDirector
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May KassemWriter
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May KassemProducer
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Kheirieh Jarkas, Nashaat SanadikiKey Cast
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Project Type:Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Feature
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Runtime:1 hour 12 minutes 30 seconds
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Completion Date:January 1, 2016
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Country of Origin:Lebanon
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Country of Filming:Lebanon
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Language:Arabic
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Shooting Format:DV, 720p
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Aspect Ratio:4:3
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Born in Beirut in 1975, May Kassem is a filmmaker, screenwriter and teacher, who has made short 16mm films, videos, documentaries, and animated films.
Her work has focused on the impact of art on society (Organized Freedom is Compulsory – 1994 / Pre-revolutionary art is the Art of the Revolution - 1996), as well as the marginalization of segments of urban populations such as migrant Syrian construction workers in Lebanon (Joker -1998), and the plight of undocumented immigrants in Paris (Qui écrira l'histoire – 1996).
She has been working on a feature-length documentary, which includes animated sequences, about legendary actress and singer Nourhane who, after a successful career in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, suddenly quit the stage, and who is also May's grandmother.
May presents two music programs on 96.2 FM Radio Liban « Poivre Noir, Piment Rouge » as well as « Champ Sonore ».
I have been thinking about this film ever since I found out, at the age of 21, that my grandmother had been a singer and an actress. My grandmother and I have been shooting and making drawings for this film ever since 2008. This is a very personal film told with two voices and four hands.