Azziza: In a Cherished Land

Original Title: بأرض عزيزة

Runtime: 85'

Expected Release: October 2026

Production Stage: Post-Production

1st Feature: Yes

Looking for: Gap Financing, Distributors, Co-Producers

Synopsis:

Worried about his safety, Azziza asks Tareq to leave Palestine to join the rest of his family in the US, leaving her and his grandmother alone in a state of war. Tareq takes sanctuary in Azziza’s land, observing her seasonal way of living while confronting the difficult decision to leave.

Director’s Profile:

Tareq Khalaf is a filmmaker, architect, and cultural producer based in Ramallah, Palestine. His research in urbanism focuses on the disappearance of agrarian livelihoods and rooted forms of belonging to place. Tareq has used film, socially engaged art and sculpture to address geographic fragmentation and the alienating impacts of settler colonial violence in Palestine. With experience working in both Palestine and South Africa, Tareq aims to explore settler ecologies and create new collaborative narratives across southern regions.

Producer’s Profile:

Bilal Alkhatib is Palestinian filmmaker working on documentary and fiction films that highlights the ordinary life of people in Palestine. Bilal started his career as a cinematographer in 2007, gradually developing his skills as a writer and director. His documentaries and short films have been screened and won international awards in Cine Palestine Paris, Carthage International Film Festival and Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival, amongst others. His documentary film project has also participated in Cannes Docs and IDFA Form, Bilal is also working on his first feature film and studying a master’s degree in cinema.