Hamada
Eloy Domínguez Serén (2018)
With vitality, humor and unexpected situations, this film paints an unusual portrait of a group of young friends living in a refugee camp in the middle of the stony Saharan desert.
A minefield and the second largest military wall in the world separates this group of friends from their homeland that they have only heard about in their parent’s stories. They are called the Sahrawis and have been abandoned in this refugee camp in the middle of a stony desert ever since Morocco drove them out of Western Sahara forty years ago. Trapped somewhere in between life and death, Sidahmed, Zaara and Taher refuse to be bothered by it. They spend their days fixing cars that can’t really take them anywhere, fighting for political change without response and together they use the power of creativity and play to denounce the reality around them and expand beyond the borders of the camp.
Info & Credits
Directed by
Eloy Domínguez Serén
Produced by
David Herdies & Michael Krotkiewski
Co-produced by
Kari Anne Moe & Gudmundur Gunnarsson/Fuglene (NO), Heino Deckert/Ma.ja.de. (DE)
Cinematography by
Eloy Domínguez Serén
Edited by
Ana Pfaff, Eloy Domínguez Serén
Genre
Documentary
With support from
Swedish Film Institute, Norwegian Film Institute, SVT, DR, Aftenposten, Fritt Ord
Awards and nominations
OpenECAM Prize, D’A Film Festival Barcelona, 2019
Best First Film & Young Jury Award, Cinéma du Réel, 2019
Tempo Documentary Award, Tempo Documentary Festival, 2019
Best Emerging Director, Porto/Post/Doc, 2018
Best Spanish Film & Best Spanish Director, Gijón IFF, 2018
MECAS Award for the best work-in-progress, Las Palmas IFF, 2018
Genève Award for the best pitch, Visions du Réel Forum, 2017
The Audience Engagement Award, Visions du Réel Forum, 2017
Selected at the Doc Station of Berlinale Talents 2017
Festivals in selection
Cinéma du Réel, Official Competition, 2019
Tempo Film Festival, Official Competition, 2019
Göteborg IFF, Dragon Award Nominee, 2019
IDFA, First Appearance Competition, 2018
Gijón International Film Festival, International Competiton & Best Spanish Film Award, 2018
Porto/Post/Doc, International Competition, 2018
Reviews
“There have been dozens of refugee-camp documentaries down the decades, but never anything quite like Eloy Dominguez Seren’s disarmingly breezy Hamada” – Neil Young for The Hollywood Reporter
“With stunning cinematography, a catchy score and some charming personal stories, Eloy Dominguez Serén has managed to paint a unique portrait of a situation that has come to a complete standstill.” – Review on Cineuropa
“Hamada’s Eloy Dominguez Serén On Wit, Wisdom in Wilderness” – Director’s interview on Variety
“Infused with warm humour and longing” – Carmen Gray for Modern Times Review