Hanging Gardens

Synopsis

Brothers As’ad (12) and Taha (28) barely scrape a living as rubbish pickers in ‘Hanging Gardens’—the local nickname for Baghdad’s smouldering dumps—yet they make the most of what they have. Then one day, As’ad discovers an American sex doll. When he brings the taboo item home and presents her as a thing of beauty, Taha assaults his little brother for ruining their reputation. As’ad retreats to Hanging Gardens to make a new home for himself and his miraculous find.
When As’ad and his friend, Amir (14), discover the doll can speak, they teach her the language of seduction in Arabic and set her to work. Business rockets, raising their profile lucratively with local teens and dangerously with the local patriarch’s enforcers. As’ad questions their exploitation of the doll, yet before he can save her from further degradation, she’s kidnapped. As’ad and Amir go after the prime suspect, only to discover that he’s turned informant.
The patriarch has As’ad and Amir kidnapped so that he can exact his own cruel and humiliating punishments. As’ad survives to complete the journey he began and reconcile himself to the choices he’s made on his own terms.
Official Selection Venice Film Festival 2022 - World premiere

Details

Year

2022

Type of film

Features

Running Time

117 min

Format

4K 2.35

Director

Ahmed Yassin Al-Daradji

Producer

Huda Al Kadhimi, Margaret Glover, May Odeh

Co-Producer

Mohamed Hefzy, Daniel Ziskind, Ahmed Yassin

Editor

Kamal El Mallakh

Screenwriter

Ahmed Yassin Al-Daradji, Margaret Glover

Director of Photography

Duraid Munajim

Production Designer

Michael Rakowitz

Sound

Rana Eid

Music

Suad Bushnaq

Principal Cast

Wissam Diyaa Jawad Al Shakarji Hussain Muhammad Jalil Akram Mazen Ali

Associate Producer

Maytham Jbara

Genre

• Drama

Production status

Complete

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Last updated 18th November 2024