A Perfect Day

  • a film by Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige
  • feature film
  • 88 min
  • 2005

A day in the life of Malek, a young man who suffers from sleep disorders and is obsessed with thoughts about his ex-girlfriend. Meanwhile, his overprotective mother struggles with the disappearance of her husband, who was kidnapped more than 15 years ago during the civil war.

Trailer
Info

  • Genre

    • Drama

  • Countries of Production

    • Germany / Lebanon / France

  • Language

    • Arabisch

  • World premiere

    • 6th August 2005 – IFF Locarno

  • a production by

    • Twenty Twenty Vision, Abbout Productions, Mille et une Productions

  • in co-production with

    • Funds Sud Cinema – Ministry of Culture and Communication, CNC – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, World Cinema Fund, TV5

  • World Sales

    • Celluloid Dreams

  • Distribution

    • Arsenal Film Verleih
Synopsis

A whole day in the intimacy of Malek, a young Lebanese. He is suffering from a rare disease: narcolepsy. He suddenly falls asleep and sometimes even stops breathing. This gives him the idea of always arriving too late. Like in a landscape after a battle… Meanwhile, his overprotective mother lives with an excessive anguish since her husband has been kidnapped fifteen years ago during the civil war. On this very day, Malek and his mother finally decide to officially declare the death of the father. At the same time Malek moves away from his mother, struggling with his obsessive love for Zeina who left him a few days before. He can’t stand it. Through the City of Beirut he follows her everywhere…in a distance, fighting against his tiredness and the ubiquitous risk of a sudden sleep overwhelming him. “A perfect day” is not about big events but about small gestures and close views, of rooms, people and the City of Beirut.

Cast

  • Malek

    • Ziad Saad

  • Claudia

    • Julia Kassar

  • Zeina

    • Alexandra Kahwagi
Crew

  • Written by

    • Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige

  • Directed by

    • Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige

  • Producers

    • Thanassis Karathanos, Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige, Edouard Mauria

  • Director of photography

    • Jeanne Lapoire

  • Editor

    • Tina Baz

  • Set design

    • Sophie Khayat

  • Music

    • Scrambled Eggs, Soap Kills

  • Sound Design

    • Sylvain Malbrant

  • Mixing Engineer

    • Oliver Goinard
Festivals
  • Locarno IFF – world premiere
  • Namur IFF
  • Toronto IFF
  • Tribeca IFF
  • Athens IFF
  • Montreal New Cinema
  • London IFF
  • Tokyo Filmex
  • Dubai IFF
  • Reykjavik IFF
  • Rotterdam IFF
  • Alba Infinity Festival
  • Istanbul IFF
  • Hong Kong IFF
  • Seattle IFF
  • Sydney IFF
  • Munich IFF
Awards
  • Winner of the Special Mention of the Jury / Namur Francophone Festival
  • Bayard d´Or for Best Actor Ziad Saad / Namur Francophone Festival
  • Winner of the Mongolfière d’Agent / Nantes Festival des 3 Continents
  • Prix de la Création Musicale / Nantes Festival des 3 Continents
  • Prix du Meilleur Acteur / Nantes Festival des 3 Continents
  • Winner of the Prix d’Aide à la Distribution / Entrevues IFF Belfort
  • FIPRESCI Award / IFF Locarno
  • Don Quijotte Award from Federation of Film Societies / IFF Locarno
  • Best Director Award / Muscat IFF

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