Ismail
Inspired by a day in the life of Palestinian painter Ismail Shammout, Ismail tells the compelling story of a young man struggling to support his parents after their expulsion to a Refugee camp in 1948 by the Israeli forces. Despite the wretched life and distressing conditions he holds to his dream to go to Rome to learn painting. One day and after selling cakes at the train station with his little brother, they heedlessly enter a minefield. As Ismail faces death, and in his struggle to save himself and his brother, we discover his true spirit.
Nora Alsharif, born to Palestinian parents, grew up between Kuwait, Cairo and Amman with a passion for Cinema since a young age. After a career as a Graphic Designer she decided to pursue filmmaking and moved to London in 2009 where she obtained a Masters in Directing Film & Television from the University of Westminster. Her graduation film Wednesday Afternoons won the Don Quixote Jury Award in Poland and was screened in many international festivals worldwide.
In 2013, she was selected among 300 filmmakers from around the world to attend the 11th Berlinale Talent Campus, part of the Berlin International Film Festival, where her short film Ismail participated in its Editing Studio and went on to premiere at the Palm Springs short film festival and London Short Film Festival and won several awards including Best Short Film at the Alexandria Film festival. She currently resides in the US where she is developing her first feature film project.
Film translated by: Tulin Al Hashemi
Jordan/Palestine/UK/Qatar, 2013, 28’
Director: Nora Alsharif
