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ZAINEB HATES THE SNOW

ZAINEB TAKRAHOU ATHALJ

By Kaouther BEN HANIA

Documentary - Production 2014

Nine-year-old Zaineb lives with her mother in Tunis. Her father died in a car accident. Her mother wants to remarry with a man living in Canada. Zaineb is told that over there she will finally see snow! But she wants nothing to do with this new man and his country, she decided to hate the snow.

- Year of production
- 2014
- Genres
- Documentary, Family
- Countries
- TUNISIA, CANADA
- Languages
- TUNISIAN, FRENCH
- Budget
- 0.3 - 0.6 M$
- Duration
- 90 mn
- Director(s)
- Kaouther BEN HANIA
- Writer(s)
- Kaouther BEN HANIA
- Producer(s)
- Habib ATTIA (CINETELEFILMS), Paul SCHERZER (ISX ISLAND PRODUCTION), Gilles PEREZ (13 PRODUCTIONS)
- Synopsis
- Nine-year-old Zaineb’s father just died in a car accident. Overnight the house turns from a place of light to a place of dark. Everybody is terribly sad.
  But one day, Zaineb notices a change at home. Her mother suddenly starts smiling again and a dreamy look comes over her face. At night, Zaineb hears her mother talk on the phone for hours with someone…
  Turns out that before marrying Zaineb’s father her mother had been in love with another Tunisian man who now lives in Canada.
  Zaineb realizes that her mother is in love again, and that she will re-marry…
  …And she begins to hate her mother for it.
  More than anything, Zaineb doesn’t want to leave her beloved Tunis. But luckily for Zaineb, the move is not happening quickly. The residence permits alone will take years to get.
  So Zaineb has time to wait and reflect. She has never seen snow, yet she knows she’ll hate it. Her real home is sunny Tunisia, where beautiful Arabic is spoken and where Ramadan and Eid are celebrated. Snowy Canada is a place where they speak a weird kind of French and where ungodly holidays like Christmas and Halloween are celebrated!
  Covering three years in the life of a charismatic young Tunisian girl and her changing family life, Zaineb Hates the Snow is a beautiful and poignant coming-of-age documentary told through the eyes of a wide-eyed little émigré.
- Partners & financing
- Required : TVs presales and coproductions and world sales agent
- Production schedule
- Principal Photo: Apr 2009 – Dec 2012
  Post Production start: Feb 15 / 2012
  Rough Cut: Feb 15 / 2013
  Fine Cut: May 15 / 2013
  Pic Lock/SND Edit and Online Start: July 15 / 2013
  Delivery distributor/festival start:Aug 1 / 2013
- Beginning of shooting
- Apr 01, 2009