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Setback of the Spirit

The film "Setback of the Spirit", directed by Sa'ed Arouri, portrays the Palestinian cause through the life of a 'Jeddeh', a grandparent that finally returns with her grandson to one of the Palestinian cities after the demise of the occupation. She finds her home exactly as she left it. Her memory takes her back to 1967 where she remembers the last moments she spent in the house. In these memories she finds something completely unexpected. Setback of the Spirit stars Ishaq Ilias, Nibal Al Awadi and Monther Khaleel Mostafa . Story and production by Laura Haddadin, dramatic treatment by Rifqi Assaf. Ahmad Saif as the Director of Photography and Ahmad Hamaydeh as the Art Director. Set design by Natalie Soumbouloglou.

  • Sa'ed Arouri
    Director
  • Sa'ed Arouri
    Writer
  • Laura Haddadin
    Producer
  • Ishaq Ilias
    Key Cast
    Grandfather
  • Nibal Al Awadi
    Key Cast
    Grandmom
  • Monther Khaleel Mostafa
    Key Cast
    Grandchild
  • Ahmad Saif
    Techinal
    DOP
  • Set design
    Techinal
    Natalie Soumbouloglou
  • Art Director
    Techinal
    Ahmad Hamaydeh
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, war, romance
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Jordan
  • Country of Filming:
    Jordan
  • Language:
    Arabic, English, French, Italian, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Canon C300 M1
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - SAE Amman
  • REALTIME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - 2'nd
    Lagos
    Nigeria
    June 24, 2017
    Opening Film
    Best cinematography
  • CICFF - Calcutta International Cult Film Festival - 8th
    CALCUTTA
    India
    BEST STUDENT FILM June/2017
  • Krajina Film Festival 2017 - 1st
    cazinska Krajina
    Bosnia and Herzegovina
    July 23, 2017
    Offecial Selected
  • Nazra – Palestine Short Film Festival - Italy - 1st
    Venice,Florence,Rome,Bologna, Naples,Gaza, Jerusalem, Ramallah
    Italy
    September 27, 2017
    Finalist
  • Festival cèdre universal short film - 19'th
    Azrou/Ifrane
    Morocco
    August 24, 2017
  • Guayaquil International Film Festival - 3'rd
    Guayaquil
    Ecuador
    September 16, 2017
  • AFC Global Fest
    kolkata
    India
    June 7, 2017
  • Kargil International Film Festival - 2'd
    Kargil
    India
    August 18, 2017
    Finalist
  • Rivne International Film Festival “Dream City” - 3'rd
    Rivne City
    Ukraine
    September 26, 2017
  • Bushman Film Festival 2017 - 1st
    Abidjan
    Côte d'Ivoire
    November 26, 2017
    Semi-Finalist
  • DHAKA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 16th
    Dhaka
    India
    January 5, 2018
  • Karama Human Right Film Festival 2017 - 8th
    Amman
    Jordan
    December 7, 2017
  • Asia Youth Micro-Film Exhibition 2017 - 3rd
    Beijing
    China
    December 25, 2017
    Semi-Finalist
  • CICFF - Calcutta International Cult Film Festival 1st edition Dec/2017 - Calcutta,India
    Calcutta
    India
    December 6, 2017
    Golden Fox Award Best Student Film
  • KALPANIRJHAR INTERNATIONAL SHORT FICTION FILM FESTIVAL - 2017 15th
    Kolkata
    India
    December 1, 2017
  • Tiharqo International Award for cinema and Art 2017 - 5'th
    Sokan
    Sudan
    December 26, 2017
    Best Actress ( Nibal Awadi ) - Best Cinematography (Ahmad Saif)
  • Lebu International Film Festival, CINELEBU, 18th
    Lebu
    Chile
    February 21, 2018
  • Babylon University in Iraq
    Babil
    Iraq
    March 18, 2018
    Opening Screening
  • Independent Shorts Awards
    Los Angeles
    United States
    May 1, 2018
    Best Student Short
  • Rassam International Short Film Festival
    Tehran
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
    May 2, 2018
  • FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CORTOMETRAJES HACELO CORTO
    Saladillo, Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    April 20, 2018
  • Link International Film Festival Link International Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    Semi-Finalist
  • Franco Arabe Film Festival 24'
    Amman
    Jordan
    June 29, 2018
    Official Selection
    Special Mention from the Jury
  • Karama Human Rights Film Festival-Yemen
    San'a
    Yemen
    October 7, 2018
    Official Selection
  • DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival 8'
    Washington, DC
    United States
    October 6, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Red Carpet Karama Human Rights Film Festival-Gaza
    Gaza
    Palestine, State of
    October 25, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Festival Cinema des Peuples 15'th

    Morocco
    December 2, 2018
    Official Selection
  • FESTIVAL MUNDIAL DE CINE EXTREMO DE VERACRUZ
    Xalapa
    Mexico
    October 10, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Karama Libya Human Rights Film Festival - Erato
    Tarablus
    Libya
    December 26, 2018
    Best Film " Bronze" Award
  • Bethlehem Student Film Festival (BSFF)
    Bethlehem
    Palestine, State of
    April 1, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival
    Mumbai
    India
    February 15, 2019
    Official Selection
  • CERTAMEN INTERNACIONAL DE CORTOMETRAJES CIUDAD DE LA LÍNEA
    LA LÍNEA
    Spain
    July 29, 2019
  • Jerash Short Film Festival
    Jerash
    Jordan
    July 23, 2019
    Best Director - Bronze Award
  • Boston Palestine Film Festival
    Boston
    United States
    October 18, 2019
    Boston Premiere
    Official Selection
  • White Unicorn International Film Festival
    kolkata
    India
    August 11, 2019
    Best Student Short Film
  • Tegenstroom Film festival
    Oostburg
    Netherlands
    October 17, 2019
  • International Moving Film Festival
    ABADAN
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
    November 8, 2019
    Official Selection
  • ENTRE LARGOS Y CORTOS DE ORIENTE
    Lecheria (Anzoategui)
    Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
    June 25, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Al-Thaqalayn Film Festival
    Tahran
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
    January 20, 2021
    Offcial Selection
  • Vesuvius International Monthly Film Fest
    Napoly
    Italy
    February 28, 2021
    Award Winning Best WAR SHORT
  • BIMIFF - Brazil International Monthly Independent Film Festival
    Rio de Janeiro, RJ
    Brazil
    July 15, 2021
    Best Student Film
  • South America Awards
    Rio de Janeiro, RJ
    Brazil
    September 25, 2021
    Best Director, Best Production Design, Best Support Actor, Best Screenplay (Student Film)
  • Rima International Film Festival
    Rio de Janeiro, RJ
    Brazil
    September 8, 2021
    Best Foreign Short Film
    Best Foreign Short Film - Best Director - Best Soundtrack - Best Screenplay - Best Actress
Distribution Information
  • Sa'ed Arouri
    Country: Worldwide
Director Biography - Sa'ed Arouri

Sa’ed Arouri is filmmaker,professional video editor, storyteller and trainer in the media field with more than 17 years of experience in production and education, Sa’ed is expert in documentary some of them takes international awards, he worked on 80 documentary short films, 5 long films for Al Jazeera channel during 2006 to 2010 after this he Co-Directed and Editing on the First Adventure series in Middle East ‘Ethiopia on steps’ witch 10 Episodes, ‘ Indonesia and discovering the Unknown’ with 5 Episodes has more than 25 Millions Views on YouTube.
Sa’ed Works Directed a documentary film ‘Violence on University’ for Al Jazeera channel in 2014.
Sa'ed worked as Video Editing Trainer, Directing Documentary Films instructor in SAE - Amman within 2014 to 2017 and Video Editing Trainer FMD workshops in RFC Amman in 2018 and Editing workshop in 2020.
In 2020 Sa'ed Have BA Digital Film Making at SAE instituted in Amman Jordan, while he studied he Directed 2 Short Fiction Films ‘ Yalla Nteer - Lets Fly’ and
‘ Nakset Rouh - Setback of the Spirit’ is officially selected by 50 Festivals, with 25 Awards
Also he is Producer/Director Documentary films in 2019 for
AL Jazeera Documentary channel he Direct " Wein A RamAllah " Story of Jordan/Palestine Song .
In 2020, he finished 10 Episodes about Amazon discovering the Unknown for AJD channel.
Sa’ed in 2020 Produce 3 Films
“Truce” is a 29 mins fiction film selected by 20 Festivals and 14 AWARDs, “Al Manaih - The Grant '' is a 15 mins documentary film selected by 19 Festival 9 AWARDS and “Dreamy Girl” is a 7 mins fiction film by mobile with child's he trained them film making selected by 5 Festivals and 5 Awards.
Saed participated with YWT Org in the year 2020 as a mentor to filmmakers from Yemen, and trainee Alaa Hafez won her documentary Azazah for the best right-wing short film and best short documentary film at the Karama Human Rights Film Festival and in 2021 work with them as jury to select projects.
Sa'ed Take 2 Best producer Awards in 2021 one from Vesuvius International Festival in Italy for Al-Manaih Film and another from Inhapim Cine Festival in Brazil for Truce Film.
Saed worked as a producer and director in the advertising campaign with Tashkeel engineers in the elections for the Engineers Syndicate in 2018, which lasted for two consecutive months and was successful for them and their winning of seats. And in 2022, they worked again with a new campaign, and the team also succeeded in winning
Sa’ed in 2020 a jury member with RTF in Nigeria and in 2021 Independent Academy of Cinema JURY INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM - CINEMAZ in Brazil

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Director Statement

No limit for life during living through the spirit of who you love ❤️ 'Setback Of the Spirit '