Projects in development
THE SHELTER
Synopsis
Leila, a Syrian refugee in her fifties living in exile in Paris, was once a famous pianist in Aleppo. She is now caregiver for Georges, a former diplomat nearing the end of his life in his Haussmann-style apartment filled with colonial history and memories of his deceased ex-wife, Édith. This proximity to death awakens something in Leila: she receives strange visits from her deceased husband and son. Initially comforting, these visits soon become threatening. Oscillating between past and present, reality and fantasy, Leila loses her footing.
Partners attached
Centre Cinématographique Marocain, Red Sea International Film Festival (Development Fund)
Director’s statement
Anonymous, Leila is just one of countless refugees. Months after their deaths, she maintains an eerie connection with her family, who were lost during the siege of Aleppo. Delving into reality, the story gradually shifts into surrealism. The refuge is not only the physical roof over Leila’s head but also the memories of her family. From Leila's perspective, her current Paris apartment slowly melds with her former home in Syria. Walls move, rooms transform, and the reemergence of Syria traps Leila once more, confining her both physically and mentally. The film descends into the realm of the unspeakable and unsettling. Dialogue fades away, emphasizing Leila's isolation. Harsh lighting etches characters' features, giving the film an almost expressionistic quality. The claustrophobic setting envelops the viewer.
Death looms large in The Shelter. Yet, beneath the story's bleakness lies a tale of resilience, a testament to the enduring power of life.
Biographies
French-Moroccan director Talal Selhami first made his mark with short films that have won prizes including the Best Music Video award from Arte. His debut feature-length thriller Mirages (2010) garnered acclaim at festivals including the Marrakech International Film Festival and the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival. Achoura (2019), a pioneer work in Moroccan fantasy cinema, won the Audience Choice Award for Feature-Length Film at the Hard:Line Festival and a Special Mention from the jury of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, and was distributed worldwide. Selhami diversified his talents by directing the award-winning video game Tell Me Why.
Sophia Menni is a Moroccan creative producer at LA PROD Casablanca who has been collaborating with renowned directors on international co-productions for seven years. In 2018, she co-produced Amussu, an innovative documentary about a Moroccan village's revolt against a polluting silver mine. The film won an award at Final Cut in Venice in 2019 before reaching audiences through prestigious festivals such as the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival and IDFA. Menni explores new narrative forms and promotes bold cinema. Currently, she is producing The Shelter, Talal Selhami's next feature-length film.
