A family of five riding in a car; woman in a hijab beside a man driving, three kids in the back seat.

The Burdened

(Al Murhaqoon)

The film tells the story of a pregnant mother of 3 who is pushed by circumstances to have an abortion. On top of the unstable political and economic situation in Yemen, she also has to face the pressure of a conservative society.

The media usually mention Yemen in relation to the civil war that has been going on since 2014. But this film, inspired by real events, shows that the war is not the only issue for people there. Isra‘a is expecting her fourth child with her husband Ahmed. But the family’s economic situation is arduous: Isra‘a is out of work, Ahmed hasn’t been paid for months and their children go to a private school due to the teachers’ strike. Isra‘a takes the difficult decision to have an abortion – something unacceptable in Yemeni society. The fact that it was filmed in the city of Aden despite the ongoing unrest contributes to the power of this unsentimental feature, the first Yemeni film shown at the Berlinale.

Světozor Cinema – Small Hall, Vodičkova 41, Praha 1

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Atlas – Large Hall, Ke Štvanici 371/4, Praha 8

Discussion
Jan Šindelář, People in Need
Veronika Gabrielová, Moderator
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TitleThe Burdened
Original TitleAl Murhaqoon
Original LanguageArabic
Subtitles Czech, English
PremiéraCzech premiere
Film typeFeature film
Year of Production2023
Country of OriginYemen, Sudan, Saudi Arabia
Length90 min.
Tags Women's rights, Social Exclusion, Middle East
Director Amr Gamal

Others Films from category Middle East

The Burdened