LEITA

200 Meters

Director:
Country:
Italy, Jordan, Palestine
Genres:
Adventure, Drama
Producer:
May Oden
Language:
Arabic
Length:
90 min
Writer:
Ameen Nayfeh
Year:
2020
Edition
RIFF 2020

Mustafa and his wife Salwa live 200 meters apart in villages separated by the wall. One day he gets a call every parent dreads: his son has had an accident. Rushing to cross the Israeli checkpoint, Mustafa is denied access on a technicality. But a father’s love won’t give up and he will do anything to reach his son. A 200-meter distance becomes a 200-kilometer odyssey, as Mustafa, left with no choice, attempts to smuggle himself to the other side of the wall.

Audience Award at Venice Days 2020

Bonus Content: A Q&A session with the director and writer Ameen Nayfeh is available on Riff@home

RIFF - Ameen Nayfeh director
Ameen Nayfeh

director

Director's statement

“I carry lots of memories that I no longer have access to, or it could be that I fear to dwell back into it. Oppression does alienate you as it denies you your basic rights; especially when you start adapting to it!

A forced separation aches a lot. 200 Meters is my story and the story of thousands of Palestinians, and stories can definitely alter lives. I believe in the power of the cinema and how it touches our lives and magical ways. I need to tell this story.

Images of the wall, checkpoints and soldiers are probably what come to mind when Palestine is mentioned. Although these images are also in this film, the focus will be on what such a separation does to us as human beings. And to shed more light on the invisible barriers and walls that are created as a result of the physical barrier.

Here, in Palestine we got used to adapting to new situations, to do as we’re told and camouflage our feelings. But this should no longer be acceptable. Freedom of movement is a very basic human right that seems to be a fairytale in such a brutal reality. The main character Mustafa has obeyed the rules, endured the humiliation and did as told in order to secure a small chance to be with his family, but when the same rules that alienated his life put his family and fatherhood at risk, will he obey it any longer?”