Private Project

Koutaiba Al-Janabi - TIFF FILMMAKER LAB - 2020

Betrayal, fear and faith in the cellar of an old church in Baghdad
Journey into the Middle Eastern Christians fate
“Where are you Boutros” is about a woman, Maryam. She is over 45, a teacher, a virgin. She has been waiting for her love as a true Christian and dedicated a lot of her life to the church.
Maryam wakes up one morning, opens the curtains of her window and sees that black flags are flying all over Baghdad - her city has been occupied by evil forces. Boutros (Peter - who betrayed Jesus), Maryam’s younger brother, promises to help her escape and leave, urges her to give up her faith - she is not aware that Boutros has joined the evil forces, Maryam trusts him. Boutros betrays his sister to those who brutally persecute the Christians. When Maryam is interrogated by a masked man, she recognises in him her old student, who, fuelled by the evil powers he is working for, rapes her. Maryam manages to escape and hides in the cellar of the old church that houses the church’s historical documents and treasures. She is alone with her anger and her faith and she contemplates all the sins committed against her and her community. What does she feel towards the man who took her virginity - anger, or also attraction, a sense of liberation? Although Maryam is hiding in the cellar, she becomes the protector of her church. With her strong belief, her unshaken honesty she finds the strength for acceptance and to forgive her brother and her rapist. The church bells ring again above Baghdad while the three characters reunite in the cellar.
 

  • Koutaiba Al-Janabi
    Writer
    Leaving Baghdad, Stories of Passers Through, The Woodman
  • Koutaiba Al-Janabi
    Director
    Leaving Baghdad, Stories of Passers Through, The Woodman
  • Koutaiba Al-Janabi
    Producer
    Leaving Baghdad, Stories of Passers Through, The Woodman
  • tbc
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Production Budget:
    200,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Iraq
  • Language:
    Arabic, English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • N/A
Distribution Information
  • N/A
Director Biography - Koutaiba Al-Janabi

Koutaiba was born in Baghdad, studied photography, cinematography in Budapest, wrote his PhD on the aesthetics of Arabic cinema. Worked as cinematographer on feature films and as producer/director for television companies. Directs/produces short films, documentaries, winning awards as cinematographer and director. His film as a writer/director/producer, Leaving Baghdad, won first prize in Dubai, a British Independent Film Award, was nominated for Cinema for Peace Award in Berlin, and screened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
"Stories of Passers Through", a documentary, won best experimental film award at the London Independent Motion Picture Awards an has been screened at the Institute of Contemporary Art and the British Film Institute in London and at various film festivals world-wide.
“The Woodman” is an experimental film in post-production, having won post production funding of the Cairo Film Connection and the Doha Film Institute.

Filmography:
Where are you Boutros, feature - in pre-production
The Woodman - in post-production
Stories of Passers Through - experimental documentary
Leaving Baghdad - documentary feature
Against the Light, Documentary
Still Life, Short film
Wasteland, Documentary
The Train, Short film
No Man's Land, Short film
My Friend Nassir, Documentary
The Ever Restless Man, Documentary
Baghdadi Correspondent, Documentary
7 Days with Gypsies, Documentary

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Director Statement

An exploration of the internal development of a devout, pure, Christian woman under the brutal oppression of evil forces. Betrayed by her own brother, raped by an old student of hers where she, an over 45-year-old woman loses her virginity. Through acceptance from the disappointment and anger, she has to find forgiveness and her inner peace again while on her own in the cellar of an old church in Baghdad - hiding from the brutality of the outside world, but also becoming the protector of her faith, of her church.