DUBAI: Yemeni film “The Burdened” this week won the Gold Hugo Award as part of the New Directors Competition at the 59th Chicago International Film Festival.
Shot in director Amr Gamal’s home city of Aden, the film follows the struggle of married couple Isra’a and Ahmed as they try to make the best of life in the poverty-stricken country.
Isra’a is pregnant. They already have three children and with school fees due, they know they can't afford a fourth. The couple decide on an abortion — an extremely difficult process in the deeply conservative country.
Their quest also takes place against a backdrop of constant obstacles such as military checks in the streets, power cuts and having to haul water from the street to the kitchen.
The film is Yemen’s official submission in the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards.
The movie had its world premiere in the Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama Section and won the Amnesty International Film Award and the second place Audience Award.