MAD World, the Arab world’s leading international film sales agency, has picked up “Sofia,” directed by and starring Dafa Rabidin, who also starred in Palestine’s Oscar-winning film “Palestine 36.” “Sofia” will have its world premiere on Tuesday at the Marrakech Film Festival, where “Palestine 36” will also be screened.
“Sofia” centers on a girl’s journey to reclaim her mistaken roots and also stars Jessica Brown Findlay (“Brave New World,” “Harlots,” “Downton Abbey”), Jonathan Hyde (“The Brutalist”), Kais Sethi (“Trace Addai,” “Haps”), Hiba Abouk (“The Prince”) and Maya Celine Gharbi.
The film follows Emily, who travels from London to Tunisia in hopes of reuniting her daughter Sophia with her estranged husband, against her father’s wishes. When Sophia disappears, the unthinkable happens, and a shattered family is quickly gripped by lies and deceit. Emily’s world is turned upside down as she searches for her daughter in a race against time.
In an interview with Variety this week, Rabidin said, “Sofia is a heartfelt thriller. When I started working on this film, I wanted to tell a human story that transcends geography and nationality and speaks to a global audience.”
MAD World co-founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab said, “‘Sofia’ is a bold and raw expression of the collision of the present and the past, the interplay between where we are now and where we came from, and the journey we take to reconcile them so that we can walk into the future unburdened. It’s beautiful to look at, and we’re excited to bring this work to the world.”
The film is a collaboration between Rabidin’s own production company, Double A Productions, and New Sparta Productions in a Tunisian-British co-production, with Rabidin serving as producer.
Christopher Simon, co-producer of the film, said: “Especially in times like these, we feel it’s more important than ever to tell stories that foster deeper understanding, empathy and connection between our worlds.”
The film is lensed by Willy Nel, edited by Hafed Lalidi, production designer by Adel Ooni, sound by Moncef Taleb, and music by Selim Arjun.
Rabidin’s career spans major productions in British television, international film and the Arab world. A graduate of Birmingham School of Language and Drama, he began his career in film in the UK on shows such as Dream Team and Spooks. He went on to appear in famous films such as Children of Men and Sex and the City 2, as well as television series such as The Looming Tower and Eddie. In the Arab region, it became famous through series such as “Makhtob,” “Harawat Erdonia,” and “Arouz Beirut.”
Rabidin made his feature debut as a director with Godois, which he co-wrote, directed, starred in, and produced through Double A Productions. The film was shortlisted for the Golden Globe Award and won the International Federation of Critics Award at the Cairo Film Festival. His second feature, To My Son, won Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the Hollywood Arab Film Festival.
