AMMAN: The Royal Film Commission – Jordan has announced on Monday that “Inshallah Walad” will be the first Jordanian film to compete in the Cannes Film Festival this May.
The feature film, directed by Amjad Al-Rasheed, has been chosen to compete in Cannes Critics’ Week, a subsidiary event that will run alongside the 76th edition of the festival.
The feature film, titled “Inshallah a Boy” in English, portrays the narrative of a young widow, Nawal, and her daughter, who are about to lose their home.
“Nawal is trapped and deprived of options, but she decides to fight back,” the RFC said.
The 90-minute film was shot last year in the Jordanian capital Amman over the course of five weeks. It received a Jordan Film Fund and RFC production grant in 2019, as well as a post-production grant in 2022.
The film also benefited from financial advantages reserved for Jordanian productions, according to the RFC.
“Jordanian filmmakers are reaching new horizons with their passion, perseverance and talent,” RCF Managing Director Mohannad Al-Bakri said.
“They are now telling their stories to the world, and Cannes is the most sought-after platform for this,” he added.
Muna Hawa, Haitham Al-Omari, Salwa Nakkara, Yumna Marwan, Mohammed AI-Jizawi, and Eslam Al-Awadi will star in the film.