Venice 78, Mohamed Diab on the Lido with a Palestinian “immaculate conception”

“The fact that some form of ‘immaculate conception’ exists in the most sacred and divided place on earth is as fascinating as it is surreal.” Egyptian director Mohamed Diab thus talks about the genesis of the film ‘Amira’, presented in the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival, which tells the phenomenon of Palestinian children conceived with the semen of imprisoned fathers, who are conveniently brought out of prison and delivered to the wives outside the bars. Amira (played by the young Middle Eastern star Tara Abboud) is in fact a seventeen-year-old Palestinian who was conceived with Nawar’s semen, stolen from the prison where he is imprisoned. Although their relationship has been limited to prison visits since her birth, her father remains her hero and his absence is largely compensated for by the love and affection of those around her. But when the failed attempt to conceive another child brings Nawar’s sterility to the surface, Amira’s world is turned upside down. “Amira – explains the director to Adnkronos – represents a microcosmic exploration of the division and xenophobia that reign in today’s world and in the Middle East. In unraveling the question of the protagonist’s identity, the film wants to raise the question whether hatred arises spontaneously or is cultivated “, concludes Mohamed Diab.