To a Land Unknown
Mahdi Fleifel / United Kingdom, Palestine, France, Greece, Netherlands, Qatar & Saudi Arabia / 2024 / 105 min
Two Palestinian refugees stranded in Athens dream of Northern Europe. By day they hustle to survive, by night they disappear into drugs and poetry. Mahdi Fleifel's Cannes hit is a feature film rooted deep in reality.
Palestinian cousins Chatila and Reda have fled Lebanon. They dream of a new start in Germany, but are trapped in the streets of Athens – without money, without passports, and without a way forward. They hustle to survive and save money for fake passports to secure their escape.
But when Reda blows their savings on a shot of heroin, their dream crumbles and Chatila must make a drastic decision. He thinks, and Reda follows. And now the plan is to become what they themselves detest the most: smugglers.
Danish-Palestinian director Mahdi Fleifel’s first feature film is a drama-thriller based on real-life experiences and rooted in both documentary and 70s Hollywood. A story of exile, survival and desperation. About the distance between who you were and who you have become. ‘To a Land Unknown’ is a gripping tale that was received with a standing ovation in Cannes.