Dawn of the World
Encyclopedia
Dawn of the World is a feature film
written and directed by the Iraq
i-French
film director Abbas Fahdel
.
Starring Venice Film Festival
revelation Hafsia Herzi (The Secret of the Grain
) and Hiam Abbass
(The Lemon Tree
, The Visitor
), Dawn of the World gives an unexpected account of the multiple impacts of the Iran–Iraq War, the Gulf War
and the 1991 uprisings in Iraq
. The film shows how these conflicts have damaged an area claimed to be the geographic location of the Garden of Eden
.
, at the delta of the Euphrates
and Tigris
rivers, in the south of Iraq
. This is where Mastour and Zahra, two young Marsh Arabs
, grow up. Shortly after their marriage, Mastour and Zahra are forced to separate when the Gulf War
breaks out. On the battlefield, Mastour befriends Riad, a young soldier from Baghdad
. Mortally wounded, Mastour makes Riad promise to protect Zahra when the war is over. When Riad arrives in the village, he falls deeply in love with Zahra. But unable to bear the loss of her husband, Zahra shuts herself off. In this completely foreign environment that is hostile to this newcomer, and as a new conflict is on the verge of inflaming the whole area, Riad will do the impossible to find his place.
.
Drafted by the éQuinoxe screenwriters' workshops, the screenplay was read and discussed over a week, in Paris, by a group of international directors and screenwriters, including Paul Haggis
, Martin Sherman
, and Mary Sweeney
.
(The American Friend
, Wings of Desire
).
The soundtrack
includes Massive Attack
's song Hymn of the Big Wheel (album Blue Lines
) and two songs of the Palestinian singer Rim Banna
: Jammal and Ya Lel Ma Atwalak (album Lullabies from the Axis of Evil
).
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
written and directed by the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i-French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
film director Abbas Fahdel
Abbas Fahdel
Abbas Fahdel is an Iraqi-French film director, screenwriter and film critic, born in Babylon, Iraq.Based in France since the age of 18 years, he studied cinema at the Sorbonne University until Ph.D....
.
Starring Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
revelation Hafsia Herzi (The Secret of the Grain
The Secret of the Grain
The Secret of the Grain is a 2007 Franco-Tunisian drama film directed by Abdel Kechiche. The film stars Habib Boufares as an ageing immigrant from the Maghreb whose ambition to establish a successful restaurant as an inheritance for his large and disparate family meets sceptical opposition from...
) and Hiam Abbass
Hiam Abbass
Hiam Abbass , also known as Hiam Abbas or Hiyam Abbas, is a Palestinian actress and an Arab citizen of Israel. She is known for her roles in the films Satin Rouge , Haifa , Paradise Now , The Syrian Bride , Free Zone , Dawn of the World , The Visitor , Lemon Tree , and Amreeka...
(The Lemon Tree
Lemon Tree (film)
Lemon Tree is a 2008 Israeli drama movie directed by Eran Riklis and codirected by his cousin Ira Riklis. It stars Hiam Abbass, Ali Suliman, Danny Leshman, Rona Lipaz-Michael, Tarik Kopty, Amos Lavi, Lana Zreik and Amnon Wolf...
, The Visitor
The Visitor (2007 film)
The Visitor is a 2007 British short film directed by Dave Smith and starring Ciaran Griffiths and Conrad Westmaas.-See also:*The Visitor Award winning feature film written and directed by Thomas McCarthy....
), Dawn of the World gives an unexpected account of the multiple impacts of the Iran–Iraq War, the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and the 1991 uprisings in Iraq
1991 uprisings in Iraq
The 1991 uprisings in Iraq were a series of anti-governmental rebellions in southern and northern Iraq during the aftermath of the Gulf War. The revolt was fueled by the perception that the power of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was vulnerable at the time; as well as by heavily fueled anger at...
. The film shows how these conflicts have damaged an area claimed to be the geographic location of the Garden of Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
.
- FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
title: L'Aube du monde - ArabicArabic languageArabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
title: فجر العالم
Plot
The Mesopotamian MarshesMesopotamian Marshes
The Mesopotamian Marshes are a wetland area located in southern Iraq and partially in southwestern Iran. Historically the marshlands, mainly composed of the separate but adjacent Central, Hawizeh and Hammar Marshes, used to be the largest wetland ecosystem of Western Eurasia...
, at the delta of the Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
and Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
rivers, in the south of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. This is where Mastour and Zahra, two young Marsh Arabs
Marsh Arabs
The Marsh Arabs , also known as the Maʻdān , are inhabitants of the Tigris-Euphrates marshlands in the south and east of Iraq and along the Iranian border....
, grow up. Shortly after their marriage, Mastour and Zahra are forced to separate when the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
breaks out. On the battlefield, Mastour befriends Riad, a young soldier from Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. Mortally wounded, Mastour makes Riad promise to protect Zahra when the war is over. When Riad arrives in the village, he falls deeply in love with Zahra. But unable to bear the loss of her husband, Zahra shuts herself off. In this completely foreign environment that is hostile to this newcomer, and as a new conflict is on the verge of inflaming the whole area, Riad will do the impossible to find his place.
Screenplay
Before being brought to the screen, the screenplay of Dawn of the World won two awards in France, the Grand Prix for the Best Screenwriter(Grand Prix du Meilleur Scénariste) and the First Screenplay Trophy (Trophée du Premier Scénario), awarded by the Centre National de la CinématographieCentre National de la Cinématographie
Le Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée or CNC is a French agency of the Ministry of Culture, responsible for the production and promotion of cinematic and audiovisual arts in France, is a publicly owned establishment, with legal and financial autonomy.Created by law on 25 October 1946...
.
Drafted by the éQuinoxe screenwriters' workshops, the screenplay was read and discussed over a week, in Paris, by a group of international directors and screenwriters, including Paul Haggis
Paul Haggis
Paul Edward Haggis is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and director. He spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.-Early life and education:...
, Martin Sherman
Martin Sherman
Martin Sherman is an American dramatist and screenwriter, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-nominated play Bent , which explores the persecution of homosexuals during the Holocaust...
, and Mary Sweeney
Mary Sweeney
Mary Sweeney is an American film editor and producer best known for collaborating with the avant-garde American film director, David Lynch...
.
Music
The original music is composed by German Jürgen Knieper, known especially for his compositions for Wim WendersWim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
(The American Friend
The American Friend
The American Friend is a 1977 film by Wim Wenders, loosely adapted from the novel Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith. The film is of the neo-noir genre, and features Dennis Hopper as career criminal Tom Ripley and Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Zimmermann, a terminally ill picture framer whom Ripley...
, Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
).
The soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
includes Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
's song Hymn of the Big Wheel (album Blue Lines
Blue Lines
-Personnel:* All tracks produced and mixed by Massive Attack, Cameron McVey and Jonny Dollar.** Robert "3D" Del Naja: vocals - keyboards** Grantley "Daddy G" Marshall: vocals** Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles: keyboards# "Safe from Harm"#* Shara Nelson: vocals...
) and two songs of the Palestinian singer Rim Banna
Rim Banna
Rim Banna is a Israeli Arab singer, composer, and arranger and an activist, who is well-known for her modern interpretations of the Palestinian Arab songs. Banna was born in Nazareth, Israel, where she graduated from Nazareth Baptist School...
: Jammal and Ya Lel Ma Atwalak (album Lullabies from the Axis of Evil
Lullabies from the Axis of Evil
Lullabies from the Axis of Evil is an album collecting traditional lullabies sung by women from Iraq, Iran, and North Korea , as well as Syria, Libya, and, Cuba , plus Afghanistan and Palestine, mixed with Western performers singing translated versions of the songs.It was conceived by Norwegian...
).
Cast
- Hafsia HerziHafsia HerziHafsia Herzi is a French actress of Algerian and Tunisian descent. She is best known for her debut role in the award-winning Franco-Tunisian feature The Secret of the Grain for which she won the award for most promising actress at the César Awards 2008, and the Marcello Mastroianni award, for best...
as Zahra - Karim Saleh as Riad
- Hiam AbbassHiam AbbassHiam Abbass , also known as Hiam Abbas or Hiyam Abbas, is a Palestinian actress and an Arab citizen of Israel. She is known for her roles in the films Satin Rouge , Haifa , Paradise Now , The Syrian Bride , Free Zone , Dawn of the World , The Visitor , Lemon Tree , and Amreeka...
as Mastour's mother - Waleed Abou El Magd as Mastour
- Sayed Ragab as Hadji Noh
Awards
- Great Prize of the Jury, Rabat International Film Festival, 2009.
- Best Film Award, Gulf Film FestivalGulf Film FestivalThe Gulf Film Festival is an annual non-profit cultural event that aims to celebrate the highest standards of Persian Gulf cinema. The Festival takes place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, since 2008....
, 2009. - Audience Award and NETPAC Award, Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian CinemaVesoul International Film Festival of Asian CinemaThe Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema is an annual special-interest film festival focusing on the cinemas of Asia. The festival is held annually in Vesoul, France. It was created in 1995 by Martine and Jean-Marc Thérouanne who have been codirecting the festival since...
, 2009. - Best Film Award, 20th Fameck Arab Film Festival, 2009.
- Best Screenplay Award, 9th Beirut International Film Festival, 2009
- Grand Prix for the best scriptwriter (Grand Prix du Meilleur Scénariste, SOPADIN), France.
- Best screenplay Award (Trophée du Premier Scénario, Centre National de la CinématographieCentre National de la CinématographieLe Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée or CNC is a French agency of the Ministry of Culture, responsible for the production and promotion of cinematic and audiovisual arts in France, is a publicly owned establishment, with legal and financial autonomy.Created by law on 25 October 1946...
), France. - The Shield of the Ministry of Culture, Iraq, 2010.
- Honorary Diploma of the Ministry of Culture, Iraq, 2010.
- Best Actor Award (Karim Saleh), Rotterdam Arab Film Festival, 2010.