From Abdul To Leila

From Abdul To Leila

2024 · 92 min · ★ 7.5 · Documentary

After losing part of her memory in an accident, Leila, a young French woman of Iraqi origin, reconstructs her story by reconnecting with her family and exploring her roots. Through music and cinema, she brings her exiled father's poems to lite, dis-covers the reality of the Middle East, and embarks on a personal quest to understand her identity and find her voice.

Directed by Leila Albayaty · Written by Leila Albayaty

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Cast

Make it a double feature

2h 48m together

From Abdul To Leila

Dolphin Reef

A close match in mood and era.

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Adopting the metaphor of a record’s hidden B-side, the film follows Leila—a singer, actress, and newly self-appointed filmmaker—as she embarks on her first feature “Berlin Telegram,” secretly directing and starring while journeying between Berlin and Paris. She collects lost footage and rewrites her own narrative, creating a poetic hybrid that blurs autobiography, fiction, and the process of remaking one’s story.

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