Scandinavian Film & TV: November 2024

War is tragic, there’s no getting around it. But reversely, there’s no getting around the fact that when humanity suffers most and when it enters its darkest places, it often tends to be when creatives produce their best work. The story told by Palestinian film director Mohamed Jabaly in Life is Beautiful (Al Haya Helwa) is one such example.

When the director in 2014 attended a film festival in Tromsø, while the borders to Gaza were closed, he subsequently became stranded in wintery Norway. However, he never imagined it would be seven years before he could return to his family.

Seven years in Norway

Through his seven years stay in Norway, Jabaly turned the unsettling experience of not being able to be reunited with his family, his plight of being effectively stateless, his battle with the Norwegian authorities to get the right to stay with a work permit rejected time after time, into a creative project documenting every moment of his time in limbo, and the result is Life is Beautiful.

The film is a co-production between Norway, Palestine and Qatar and is produced by the Norwegian production company Stray Dog Norway. It has already picked up a host of awards including winning the best film award at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), Krakow Film Festival, Prague One World Film Festival, and Jabaly picked up the best director at IDFA as well.

While his home country is suffering from conflict and devastating loss of life, Jabaly tries to stay optimistic and the title of his film, Life is Beautiful, reflects how he approaches life – he has decided to stay upbeat despite what is happening at home.

During his seven years in the Arctic, Jabaly has completed a BA from Nordland Film & Art College in Northern Norway and is currently pursuing his MA at the National Academy of Arts in Oslo, while touring with Life is Beautiful.

Outside international festivals, no general release dates have yet been announced for the award-winning documentary, but the positive buzz it has received following the series of awards and nomination of recognition will hardly damage the prospect of a wide release.

Anders Lorenzen is a Danish blogger and film and TV enthusiast living in London.