From My Window, Without a Home…

From My Window, Without a Home...
FrenchDe ma fenêtre, sans maison...
Directed byMaryanne Zéhil
Written byMaryanne Zéhil
Produced byMaryanne Zéhil
Starring
CinematographyNathalie Moliavko-Visotzky
Edited byHélène Girard
Music byJean Derome
Production
company
Mia Productions
Distributed byK-Films Amérique
Release date
  • February 26, 2006 (2006-02-26) (Canada)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguagesFrench
Lebanese

From my Window, Without a Home… (French: De ma fenêtre, sans maison...) is a Quebec feature film produced, written and directed by Maryanne Zéhil.[1] The film tells the story of a Lebanese woman who leaves her country and family to settle in Montreal. It features Louise Portal, Renée Thomas, Leyla Hakim, Walid El Alayli, Hélène Mercier, Jean-François Blanchard, Mariloup Wolfe, Catherine Colvey and Sébastien Ricard.[2][3]

Plot

At four years old, Dounia’s mother, Sana, emigrates to Canada, leaving her daughter behind in burning and bloody Beirut, Lebanon. Seventeen years later, after the death of her father, Dounia comes to Montreal to meet a mother she no longer remembers.

Once in Montreal, Dounia quickly realizes that her mother is a stranger to her. Sana avoids talking about the past, yet she is forced to confront it, little by little. Communication between the two women is awkward, and Dounia's stay is drawing to a close. It seems impossible for Sana to return to Beirut, yet circumstances provoke it. Returning to the homeland she once fled like the [plague, Sana has no choice but to face her past.[4][5][6]

Cast

  • Louise Portal as Sana
  • Renée Thomas as Dounia
  • Leyla Hakim as Teta
  • Walid Al Alayli as Akram
  • Hélène Mercier as Hoda
  • Jean-François Blanchard as Denis
  • Mariloup Wolfe as Sylvie
  • Catherine Colvey as Barbara
  • Sébastien Ricard as Pierre
  • Elias Elias as Paesant

Release

The film premiered at the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma on 26 February 2006.[7]

References

  1. ^ Pallister, Janis L.; Hottell, Ruth A. (2011). Noteworthy Francophone Women Directors: A Sequel. Lexington Books. p. 140. ISBN 978-1-61147-443-5.
  2. ^ Charles-Henri Ramond (April 19, 2010). "De ma fenêtre sans maison sort en salles au Liban". Films du Québec (in French).
  3. ^ ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Aucun thème sélectionné-. "La grande fête du cinéma québécois est de retour!". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  4. ^ "Maryanne Zéhil présente au Liban « De ma fenêtre sans maison". L'Orient-Le Jour. April 29, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  5. ^ Laforest, Kevin. "De ma fenêtre, sans maison… : Tout sur ma mère". Voir.ca (in Canadian French). Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  6. ^ "De ma fenêtre, sans maison..." Réalisatrices Équitables (in French). Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  7. ^ "The Rendez Vous unveils its 24th edition". www.filmfestivals.com. Retrieved August 17, 2021.