Safar: Captain Abu Raed

At the time of its release, Captain Abu Raed was the first Jordanian film produced in over 50 years. Abu Raed (Nadim Sawalha) is an airport cleaner who has always dreamt of seeing the world but only experienced it vicariously through books and brief encounters with air travellers. One day he finds a pilot’s cap and takes it to his poor neighbourhood where Abu Raed has befriended a group of children. Believing that he is a retired pilot, the kids eagerly await to hear about Abu Raed’s worldly adventures. As he takes the children on a fictionalized journey through his stories, he soon begins to discover that there is a grim reality in these children’s lives that he must attempt to rectify. Captain Abu Raed is a universal story of friendship, inspiration and heroism, directed by one of the Arab world’s most successful contemporary film directors.

There will be a post-screening Q&A with star Nadim Sawalha and director Amin Matalqa.

Presented in partnership with the Dubai International Film Festival (Official Programming Partner).