VALLEY OF EXILE

By Anna FAHR

SPAFAX UK - as BUYER REP

Drama - Completed 2023

Two sisters arrive in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley at the onset of the Syrian war, embarking on a journey into exile that tests their loyalty to their country, their family and each other.

Festivals
& Awards

Cinequest 2023
Jury Award, Best Feature Drama
Vancouver International Film Festival 2023
Emerging Canadian Director Award
Warsaw Film Festival 2023
International Competition
Mostra Sao Paulo International Film Festival 2023
New Director Competition, Brada Award for Best Art Direction
Tallgrass Film Festival 2023
Women Filmmakers Competition
Windsor International Film Festival 2023
Official Selection
SR Socially Relevant Film Festival 2024
Best Actress, Grand Prize - Narrative Feature
Canadian Film Fest 2024
DGC Ontario Best Director Award
    • Year of production
    • 2023
    • Genres
    • Drama
    • Countries
    • CANADA, LEBANON
    • Languages
    • ARABIC
    • Budget
    • 0.3 - 0.6 M$
    • Duration
    • 107 mn
    • Director(s)
    • Anna FAHR
    • Writer(s)
    • Anna FAHR
    • Producer(s)
    • Anna FAHR (MORNING BIRD PICTURES)
    • Synopsis
    • 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 return 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: Rima finds work as a housekeeper, hoping to earn money to rent an apartment before her baby is born, while Nour sets out to investigate their brother's whereabouts, risking her own safety in the process.

      As days in the camp turn to weeks, Rima and Nour begin to realize that their journey together into exile is not only a struggle for survival, but ultimately a test of loyalty to their country, their family and each other.
    • Partners & financing
    • Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council