Join us on Thursday, April 3rd, at the Goethe-Institut for a special screening of the films Shadows and Tell Them About Us, followed by a discussion with filmmaker and Villa Aurora Fellow Rand Beiruty. This event is presented in cooperation with the International Documentary Association (IDA) and the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles. Admission is free, RSVP here.

EVENT SCHEDULE
6:30 pm Doors open
7:00 pm Welcoming & Screenings of Shadows and Tell Them About US
9:00 pm Discussion with Rand Beiruty
9:30 pm End of Event

TELL THEM ABOUT US
Germany/Jordan (2024,) 92 min., German/Arabic/English with English Subtitles
Writer-Director: Rand Beiruty, Cinematography: Marco Müller, Editing: Patrick Richter, Abdallah Sada, Producers: Jude Kawwa, Alex Tondowski, Production Company: Shaghab Films, Tondowski Films

In the East-German province, a clique of Arab, Kurdish, and Roma teenage girls navigate the complexities of culture, friendship, and self discovery, boldly staging their conflicts and dreams in front of the camera. This coming-of-age story follows seven teenage girls adjusting to their new life in Eberswalde, an East German provincial city. Over the period of four years, we witness them steer through friendships, school, finding a career and even marriage.

The girls grapple with the pressures and conflicts of being immigrants and refugees while simultaneously navigating their roles as young women within their families and communities. Next to following them in their daily life, the director organizes writing, music, and acting workshops where the girls reflect upon their circumstances and future goals and dreams. After which, they write scenes to stage in front of the camera. These scenes are turned into dream sequences where the girls envision themselves in the future, as a way to work through painful experiences and playfully translate them into future perspectives under the cover of fiction.

SHADOWS
France/Jordan (2024,) 12 min., German/Arabic with English Subtitles
Writer-Director: Rand Beiruty, Animation/Graphic Author: Marta Magnuska, Editing: Abdallah Sada, Production Company: Shaghab Films, Piano Sano

At an over crowded airport, Ahlam, a 14-year old runaway mother, fights the lurking shadows that attempt to steal the only dream that will set her free.

About Rand Beiruty

Rand Beiruty is a writer, director, and creative producer. She holds a practice-based PhD. revolving around questions of representation and participatory filmmaking from Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. Beiruty has pitched her projects on international platforms and received awards from Tribeca Film Institute, Mifa Animation du Monde, Arab Cinema Center, and European Network of Young Cinema, among others. Her debut feature documentary, TELL THEM ABOUT US, was awarded best pitch at the Reception of German Film Schools and Haus Am See scholarship. The film celebrated its world premiere at CPH:DOX 2024 and received the ECFA Award for Best European Feature Documentary for Young Audience. Her Short Animated documentary SHADOWS celebrated its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival and won the World Animation Award at the Leeds International Film Festival.

Selected Filmography
2024 | Shadows, short animated documentary (screenplay, director & co-producer)
2024 | Tell Them About Us, documentary (screenplay, director & co-producer)
2020 | Encountering Samir, short animation (screenplay & director)
2018 | Nudar, short documentary (screenplay, director & producer)
2017 | Halfway, short animated documentary (screenplay, director & producer)

Selected Awards
2024 | Best European Feature Documentary for Young Audience, 64th Zlín International Film Festival
2021 | Haus am See Scholarship
2020 | Best Pitch, Reception of German Film Schools
2020 | Arab Cinema Award, Cairo Film Connection
2017 | Winner of Tribeca Film Institute – If/Then Competition, CPH:DOX
2016 | European Short Pitch (ESP) Jury Prize, International Script Pitch, Interfilm Berlin

Presented in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles and the International Documentary Association (IDA).