Info:

Screening format: DCP
Original title: بنات عبد الرحمن
Director: Zaid Abu Hamdan
Writer: Zaid Abu Hamdan
Cast: Saba Mubarak, Farah Bsaiso, Hanan Al-Hilo, Mariam Al-Basha
Countries of origin: Jordan, USA, Qatar
Language: Arabic
Subtitles: English
Runtime: 1 hour 52 minuttes

About the film:

Daughters of Abdulrahman is a feminist dramedy that follows the journey of four sisters. Despite their differences, they reunite to search for their missing father while keeping his mysterious disappearance and their personal struggles a secret from their nosy and judgmental neighbors.

The film highlights women’s struggle against patriarchal society’s use of shame to control, exploit and marginalize them. It also emphasizes the significance of community and the power of women united.

Director Abu Hamdan drew inspiration for the themes of the film from his own mother's sacrifice of her personal aspirations, having to prioritize societal expectations of being a perfect eldest sister, a conforming wife, and a mother to four boys. In response, the filmmaker conducted a survey of 300 Jordanian women from various backgrounds before making Daughters of Abdulrahman.

The film marked its world premiere at the 2021 Cairo International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award.

Zaid Abu Hamdan (born 1982, Jordan)

Born and raised in Amman, Jordan, Zaid Abu Hamdan holds an MFA from the New York Film Academy in Hollywood and a BA in Communication Arts from the Lebanese American University. Since 2009 Zaid wrote, directed, and produced six award-winning, internationally distributed short films, including Bahiya & Mahmoud, which was the official Jordanian submission to the Academy Awards in 2012. Daughters of Abdulrahman is Abu Hamdan’s first feature film.