Private Project

Hope in the bottle

Producing olive oil in Palestine is like sending a message in a bottle. And yet, this bottle can reach its destination on the holy land of Palestine... Once it has passed every roadblock.

Producing olive oil in Palestine compares to throwing a bottled SOS at sea - and yet this bottle, like a miracle in the Holy Land, might reach its destination….beyond the barricades.
Hope in a bottle tells the story of the turbulent journey travelled by a bottle of olive oil in the West Bank, and in this sense defines itself as a road-movie, The film creates a connection with Palestinians farmers, who attempt to maintain a perennial and sustainable form of agriculture in the face of issues concerning export caused by the occupation.
This bottle’s tribulations are an introduction to the West Bank, and to the Palestinian people, revealed in their daily routine and activities. A way to show that life always wins. The film is touching by its characters’ grace and humour - but it also finds its strength in the depiction of the political context and situation of this divided land.

  • Ladrouz
    Director
  • Ladrouz
    Writer
  • Ladrouz
    Producer
    Haicha
  • Bertay
    Producer
    Thomas
  • Akoka
    Producer
    Philippe
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 11 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    France
  • Country of Filming:
    Palestine, State of
  • Language:
    Arabic
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1920x1080
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • PCMMO
    Paris
    France
    April 8, 2016
    France
  • Festival de Lama
    Lama
    France
    August 1, 2016
  • Resistance film festival Tehran
    Tehran
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
    September 1, 2016
  • Islamic film festival Tehran
    Teharn
    December 17, 2016
    premiere
    Best director of documentary
  • Camera des Champs
    Metz
    France
    May 19, 2017
  • Nablus Festival
    Nablus
    Palestine, State of
    April 5, 2017
    premiere Palestinian
    Best documentary
Distribution Information
  • Haicha Ladrouz/ HL Prod
    Country: France
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Ladrouz

With a cinema degree in her pocket, Haïcha Ladrouz begins to work at television. First for the programm « Tracks », she soon enters different news magazines teams at Canal+ : « C’est ouvert le samedi », NPA and « Le vrai journal ». She also often works for Capa Agency and for 2P2L. 2P2L produces her first 52’ documentary in 2000 « Steps without her », selected in several festivals (Lussas, the month of the documentary). Fond of documentaries, she wants to improve her skills. She loves telling stories using the ones who are part of them. In 2001, she enters the documentary writing workshop of Lussas. Haïcha keeps on travelling the world, stops in the tough places, always meeting men and woman who fight for a better life, in Algeria, in Palestine, in Syria, in Yougoslavia... She makes films for differents channels, from 13 to 26’, among which « The illegal of Oran », « The children of Damas hospital », « Izrak, conservating the Palestinian Art during Intifada »... In 2004, she enters the Femis school, in an adult education program. An important stage of her career. She writes there her first script for a feature film « No scandal » which got a mention and a loan to a producer in 2009. She makes two short films : « Standing Up » (Super 16 format) with Rachid Djaïdani about boxing, and « The March » with Jackie Berroyer and Daniel Duval. They were both selected in festivals. Meanwhile, she makes video clips for the singer Mano Solo. In 2009, she goes back to Cisjordania. In a documentary film « The hope in the bottle », she tells the trip of an olive oil bottle, following closely the Palestinian farmers and olive oil producers. The ones who, in 2000, were throwing stones to the Israel army, had gone back to their fields and became farmers. (film currently in post-production) From this enriching adventure was written the scritp of « The Soul Fruits », a feature film currently on the loom. The project has been unanimously granted by the region of Corsica. In the mean time, she is working on a television series. Haïcha shares her time between documentary shootings and her feature film script writing. Her claimed adaptability helps her to work on any project, exacting as always, for she has been in touch with reality.

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