Films by Manuel Laval

France, Tunisia, Germany, Saudi Arabia 2023, 107 min
by Kaouther Ben Hania

The life of Olfa, a Tunisian woman and mother of 4 daughters, oscillates between light and shadow. One day, her two eldest daughters disappear. To fill their absence, director Kaouther Ben Hania calls upon professional actors and sets up an extraordinary film mechanism to unveil the story of Olfa and her daughters.An intimate journey full of hope, rebellion, violence, intergenerational transmission and sister-hood, which will question the very foundation of our societies. With: Hend Sabri

Germany 2018, 88 min
by Melanie Andernach, Andreas Köhler

The Shaash family is spread out all over the world. The civil war in Somalia forced them into exile. Suddenly, the oldest family member, Imra (88), must leave her exile in Ethiopia. The rest of the family has to find a fast solution. But where should she go? And where can she go? Some where where other family members have already found a new home and a new future? Based on these questions, a transnational family drama unfolds, one in which a family tries everything and fails to find a new home for Imra. In the end, her only choice is to return to war-torn Somalia. GLOBAL FAMILY offers insight into the fate of the many people who have had to leave their homeland – for whatever reasons. They hope for a life together with their families, but have to live separated from one another, spread out all over the world.