Al-Dana
Spring Grants 2024 - Development Stage
Nora Al-Subai / Feature Narrative / Qatar / 90 min / Interests: Comedy, Adventure, Culture
Synopsis
1752, Al-Dana is a woman in a man’s world where Pearl Diving is the only way of life. Her grandfather’s mysterious discovery of the Black Pearl sets the village and Al-Dana on an epic journey. However, when the black pearl goes missing, Al-Dana is accused of bringing a curse upon the village. Determined to clear her name, she sets out on an adventure to track the missing pearl, diving into the mysterious waters of the sea. The story revolves around self-discovery and grief as Al-Dana confronts her profound sorrow from the loss of her father and the emotional challenges following a miscarriage. As she navigates her pain and trauma, the narrative delves into her journey of coping with these losses and the resilience she discovers within herself when faced with impossible choices.
Credits
- Director
- Nora Al-Subai
- Screenwriter
- Nora Al-Subai, Dana J. Atrach, Jaya Al-Kuwari
About the Director
Nora Al-Subai is a Qatari writer/director, born and raised in France. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon. Her short film, 'My Hero' (2013), premiered at the Ajyal Youth Film Festival where it won Best Short Film. The film also showed at the Cannes Film Festival, Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival, Children's Film Festival in Seattle, and the Latin Arab Festival in Buenos Aires. She also wrote and directed 'Al-Johara' (2016), which premiered at the Ajyal Film Festival 2016, where it won the Special Jury Award, and appeared in other prestigious film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, and Florence Film Festival.