Batata
Directed byNoura Kevorkian
Written byNoura Kevorkian
Produced byPaul Scherzer
Noura Kevorkian
CinematographyNoura Kevorkian
Edited byNoura Kevorkian
Mike Munn
Production
companies
Saaren Films[1]
Musa Dagh Productions &
Six Island Productions[2]
Distributed byLevel Films[3] &
Six Island Productions
Release dates
  • January 20, 2022 (2022-01-20) (FIPADOC)
  • June 20, 2023 (2023-06-20) (Hot Docs)
Running time
125 minutes
CountriesCanada
Lebanon
LanguagesArabic
Armenian

Batata ('potato' in Arabic) is a (2022) Canadian-Lebanese documentary film directed by Noura Kevorkian.[4] The film is a portrait of Maria, a Syrian woman working in Lebanon whose life is upended by the Syrian civil war and its associated refugee crisis.[5]

The film was conceived in 2009, prior to the outbreak of the war, as a portrait of Maria's father Abu Jamil and potato-farmer Movses (Mousa) Doudaklian, two men who forged a close friendship through years of working together on Doudaklian's potato farm in Lebanon despite the traditional enmity between Lebanese Christians (Mousa) and Syrian Muslims (Abu Jamil). As the outbreak of the war turns the farm into a desolate refugee camp, the film's focus shifted onto Maria and her resolute determination to keep her family safe and united against the forces that threatened to destroy them.[6]

Batata is a one-woman tour-de-force of filmmaking. Noura Kevorkian filmed for ten years in Lebanese refugee camps and edited for a further two years during the Covid19 pandemic. She is the film’s Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor (principal), and Co-Producer. Her filmmaking journey is described in her many interviews and podcasts.[7] [8] [9]

Batata premiered in Official Competition (2022) at the FIPADOC film festival in Biarritz, France. [10] The film had its Canadian premiere (2022) at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto and streamed on the 'Hot Docs at Home' platform.[11] The film had its US premiere (2023) at the Lighthouse International Film Festival in New Jersey. [12] Batata screened in festivals around the globe and received many awards. [13]

Batata had its theatrical premiere in Toronto (2023) to coincide with World Refugee Day, in partnership with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Canada) at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, Canada.[14]

Batata received an Honorable Mention at Hot Docs for Best Canadian Feature Documentary.[15]

Batata received three Nominations at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards (2023) for Best Feature Length Documentary, Best Cinematography in a Documentary (Noura Kevorkian), and Best Editing in a Documentary (Noura Kevorkian, Mike Munn).[16]

Batata won a Peabody Award (2023), as one of 35 of the most ‘compelling and empowering stories released in broadcasting, streaming, and interactive media’ among 1,400 entries.[17]

Batata was Nominated for the Allan King Award for Best Documentary Film and for Best Editing Documentary at the Directors Guild of Canada awards (2023).[18]

Awards

ACADEMY AWARDS (2024), Oscar Qualifier: as WINNER Tanit d’or, Carthage Film Festival[19](2022), Tunisia.

WINNER: 83rd Peabody Awards[20] (2023), USA-International.

WINNER: Audience Award Top 10: Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival[21] [22] (2022), Canada.

WINNER: Amnesty Human Rights Award, Durban International Film Festival[23] (2022), South Africa.

WINNER: Human Rights Award Tanit d’or, 33rd Carthage Film Festival[24] (2022), Tunisia.

WINNER: Best Feature Jury Prize, 13th Malmö Arab Film Festival[25] (2023), Norway.

WINNER: Best Pitch Award, Dubai International Film Festival[26] (2012), UAE.

HONOURABLE MENTION: Allan King Award for Excellence in Documentary Film, Directors Guild of Canada[27] (2023), Canada.

NOMINEE: Best Feature Length Documentary, 11th Canadian Screen Awards[28] (2022), Canada.

NOMINEE: Amnesty International Award (Human Rights), 24th Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival[29] (2022), Greece.

SPECIAL MENTION: Best International Documentary, 43rd Durban International Film Festival[30] (2022), South Africa.

Exhibitions

Official Competition: FIPADOC Film Festival, France.
Official Competition: HOTDOCS Documentary Film Festival, Canada.
Official Selection: THESSALONIKI Documentary Film Festival, Greece.
Official Selection: DOC EDGE Film Festival, New Zealand.
Official Competition: MUNICH DOK.fest, Germany.
Official Competition: IT’S ALL TRUE / É TUDO VERDADE International Documentary Film Festival, Brazil.
Official Competition: DURBAN International Film Festival, South Africa.
Official Selection: ANTENNA Documentary Film Festival, Australia.
Official Selection: AFLAM Festival, France.
Official Competition: KITZBÜHEL Film Festival, Austria.
Official Competition: TERRAVIVA Film Festival, Italy.
Special Presentation: MAN IN DANGER Media Festival, Poland.
Official Selection: GALWAY Film Festival, Ireland.
Official Competition: CARTHAGE Film Festival, Tunisia.
Official Selection: DEVOUR! Film Festival, Canada.
Official Selection: VICTORIA Film Festival, Canada.
Official Selection: FIN ATLANTIC International Film Festival, Canada.
Official Competition: MALMO Arab Film Festival, Norway.
Official Competition: LIGHT HOUSE International Film Festival, USA.
Official Selection: WOODS HOLE Film Festival, USA.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.saarenfilms.com
  2. ↑ https://sixisland.com/
  3. ↑ https://level.film/#/films
  4. ↑ https://www.academy.ca/2023/batata/
  5. ↑ Jim Slotek, "Hot Docs '22: Batata Director on Life at a Lebanese Potato Farm/Refugee Camp through Syria and ISIS". Original CIN, April 26, 2023.
  6. ↑ Marc Glassman, "Batata Review: An Extraordinary Work Ten Years in the Making". Point of View, May 4, 2022.
  7. ↑ Chris Pak, "Bittersweet Potatoes: Noura Kevorkian, Documentary Film Maker, Reflects on the Plight and Resilience of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon". Blog Medical Humanities, June 20, 2023. Interview conducted by Dr. Khalid Ali.
  8. ↑ "’I’m very interested in telling stories of people who are marginalised’: Q&A with Noura Kevorkian". UNHCR-Canada, May 3, 2022.
  9. ↑ Sarah Greenleaf,"Hot Docs 2022 Women Directors: Meet Noura Kevorkian – ‘Batata’". UNHCR-Canada, May 3, 2022.
  10. ↑ Andrew Tracy, "International doc fest FIPADOC releases 2022 programming slate". RealScreen, January 7, 2022.
  11. ↑ "’Batata’ Documentary About Syrian Refugees to be Screened at Toronto’s Hot Docs Film Festival". Horizon Weekly, April 11, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Batata"Lighthouse International Film Festival website.
  13. ↑ "Batata: 10 years in the life of a refugee"Saaren Films website.
  14. ↑ "Batata"Now Playing Toronto website., June 20, 2023.
  15. ↑ Sadaf Ahsan, "Jacquelyn Mills’ ‘Geographies of Solitude’ wins Hot Docs’ best Canadian film award". Toronto Star, May 7, 2022.
  16. ↑ Pat Mullen, "2023 Canadian Screen Award Nominations for Documentary". Point of View, February 22, 2022.
  17. ↑ "83rd Annual Peabody Awards Announced". peabodyawards.com.
  18. ↑ Taimur Sikander Mirza,"Women Talking leads film nominees for 2023 DGC Awards".Playback, September 20, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Carthage Film Festival".IMDb website.
  20. ↑ "83rd Peabody Awards".peabodyawards.com website.
  21. ↑ "Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival".hotdocs.ca website.
  22. ↑ Pat Mullen, "Batata Holds Top Spot in Hot Docs Audience Award Race".Point of View May 2, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Durban International Film Festival".DIIF-facebook website.
  24. ↑ "JCC 2022: The Golden Tanit leaves for Tanzania".Farafina Culture website, November 6, 2022.
  25. ↑ Malmo Arab Film Festival,"MAFF 2023 Awards".MAFF website, May 3, 2023.
  26. ↑ Citation Needed.
  27. ↑ "Directors Guild of Canada, Excellence in Documentary".IMDb website.
  28. ↑ "11th Canadian Screen Awards".wikipedia website.
  29. ↑ Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, "2022 Awards".IMDb website.
  30. ↑ Durban International Film Festival, "2022 Awards".IMDb website.


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