Mawtini

Canada | 2023 | 18min | Narrative Nawal, a young Palestinian woman grieving the death of her grandmother and clinging to the task of keeping a fig sapling alive as her last thread of connection to Palestine, builds an unlikely friendship with Tanya, an older Indigenous woman growing a guerilla garden on the lawn of their apartment building. As Nawal helps Tanya with her garden and battle against middle management, the two women find home in their connection with each other on the margins. Fateema is an award-winning Palestinian/Canadian filmmaker whose work explores fragmented identity, grief and connection through “oh no, should I laugh?” comedy. She is passionate about creating nuanced representation of Arabs and Muslims for the screen and prioritizes making space for marginalized voices both in front of and behind the camera. Fateema is a Women in the Director’s Chair and Canadian Film Centre Directors’ Lab alumni. She recently completed a fellowship for Middle Eastern writers at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. Fateema is a tender hearted friend and believes in resistance and resilience through laughter.