Trouble Magnet
Fall Grants 2023 - Development Stage
Ahmad Saleh / Feature Narrative / Palestine, Germany, Jordan, Qatar / 80 min / Original Language: Arabic, English, German / Interests: Coming of age
Synopsis
Growing up in Germany with Palestinian roots, Ali, a dramatic teenager, grapples with a persistent sense of not belonging. Surprising his childhood friend Almundo, Ali relocates to Palestine. Amidst riots and a nation’s uprising, Ali’s naivety entertains new friends Omar and Sami. They invent a game for him to earn “local status”—a challenge he takes seriously. To resist Almundo’s pressure to return to Germany, Ali cuts ties and befriends a Donkey to conceal his emotions. Despite the comical yet risky challenges, Ali wins the game and is celebrated as a “native Palestinian.” Confident, he deepens his journey, but a meeting with a wise four-year-old girl exposes his struggle to truly fit in. In a surreal moment, the donkey reappears, carrying Ali back to Germany, where he finally relents.
Credits
- Director
- Ahmad Saleh
- Screenwriter
- Ahmad Saleh,
- Producer
- Fabian Driehorst
- Production Company
- Fabian&Fred
About the Director
Ahmad Saleh is a German/Palestinian writer, director, and art director known for his unique storytelling voice. In 2016, he won the Gold Student Academy Award for Foreign Animation for his film ‘Ayny’ and is a member of AMPAS. Ahmad studied Digital Media and Visual Arts at HFK Bremen and film direction at KHM Cologne. Inspired by stories he witnessed while studying for his bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering in the West Bank, Ahmad wrote a collection of short stories, which was one of the winners of the Young Writers Award in Palestine. Winning that award encouraged him to switch from engineering to a career in writing and film directing. His first short film ‘House’ won second place at the German Academy Award “Lola”. His debut short film ‘Night’ premiered in Locarno and qualified for the Oscars.