Canadian Premiere
Set in the early years of the Syrian war, Valley of Exile chronicles the journey of Rima and Nour, two sisters who find unexpected refuge in a makeshift settlement in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley after fleeing war-torn Damascus. Older sister Rima, who is eight months pregnant, is set on reuniting with her husband and rebuilding their lives in Lebanon, while younger sister Nour is determined to find their missing brother and eventually returns home to Syria. In the camp, the sisters forge alliances with other women who are similarly forced to live without the support of family they’ve lost to the war. This propels them onto separate paths. But as days in the camp turn to weeks, Rima and Nour begin to realize that their exile is not only a struggle for survival, but ultimately a test of loyalty to their country, their family and each other. Director Anna Fahr portrays the beauty that exists in humanity in even the hardest times. The strong female leads and matriarchal emphasis distinguish this movie from other films of this type.
September 30 & October 1: Q&A with director Anna Fahr
Community Partner
Maria Hassan, Hala Hosni, Michel Hourani, Najwa Kondakji, Joy Hallak, Sajed Amer
Canada/Lebanon
2023
Focus
In Arabic with English subtitles
War, Famine, Refugee Camps
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Credits
Executive Producer
Paul Scherzer, Aeschylus Poulos
Producer
Lara Abou Saifan, Anna Fahr
Screenwriter
Anna Fahr
Cinematography
Mark Khalife
Editor
Anna Fahr, Wajdi Elian
Production Design
Pamela Khadra
Original Music
Alan Spiljak
Director
Anna Fahr
Anna Fahr is an Iranian-Canadian-American filmmaker and founder of Morning Bird Pictures, a Toronto-based production company dedicated to creating films and new media that focus on the contemporary Middle East and diaspora. Her latest projects include the award-winning interactive web-docs, Migrant Mothers of Syria and My Life in Limbo. Her last dramatic short, Transit Game was shot in north Lebanon and screened in 50+ international festivals, winning prizes in Berlin, San Francisco and Florence. Anna’s first feature documentary, Khaneh Ma: These Places We Call Home, screened in international festivals and was theatrically released in Montreal. Valley of Exile is her debut narrative feature.
Filmography: Khaneh Ma: These Places We Call Home (2006)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Our Lady of the Nile
Veronica and Virginia are inseparable friends at an elite Catholic boarding school, Our Lady of the Nile, but what binds them together is the very thing that separates them forever. We are in Rwanda, 1973, and tribal tensions are simmering ominously.
Night Moves: Street Photography, Poetry and Music with Rodney DeCroo
To mark the publication of Night Moves, his first book of street photography (shot in and around Commercial Drive), singer-songwriter, poet and playwright Rodney DeCroo shares his images, stories and music, along with his band The Wise Blood.
Secret Mall Apartment
The stranger-than-fiction true story of a group of artists who built and furnished a hidden apartment inside a mall, remaining undetected for years. This is an absurdly fun and surprisingly profound film about gentrification and art.
The Teacher
In this potent thriller, English teacher Basem witnesses the murder of a teenager by a Israeli settler. While the subsequent investigation rolls slowly towards a foregone conclusion, the teacher is caught up in a parallel kidnapping case...
Bob Trevino Likes It
When her toxic, narcissistic dad cuts her out of his life, Lily Trevino looks him up on Facebook and happens across his namesake, Bob (John Leguizamo), a gentle, genial contractor who lives nearby, and who proves an altogether better dad...
The Encampments
When pro-Palestine protests took hold of Columbia last year, the filmmakers were there from the beginning. This documentary charts the mounting tensions between students and the administration, as the protests were picked up across North America.