A Maid for Each
Lebanon
|
2016
|
Color
|
67 min
This directory compiles the glossaries from all editions of Cines del Sur: eleven already held and the twelfth currently underway. It serves as a living memory of the festival, its films, guests, sections, and spaces for reflection on the cinemas of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Arab world. Here you can trace the evolution of its programming, rediscover filmmakers, and follow the thematic threads that have defined Cines del Sur's identity as a meeting point for cultures, perspectives, and ways of understanding cinema from the Global South.
For an estimated population of 4 million, Lebanon has over 200,000 foreign domestic workers who come from countries with significant social difficulties and armed conflicts such as the Philippines (Southeast Asia), Syria (Middle East), and Eritrea (Northwest Africa). The workers are treated as mere commodities, their contracts lacking any basic rights. Is this 21st-century slavery? The documentary follows the activities of one of the agencies operating in the market: El Raed. Inside, we discover how workers are chosen from samples, as if selecting another piece of furniture for the home. We witness their helplessness in the face of any domestic problem and are surprised by the clients' demands, among other things. A Maid for Each acts as a mirror reflecting the misery of a social reality experienced by thousands of people.
Technical Details
Direction:
Maher Abi Samra
Cinematography:
Claire Mathon
Language:
Arabic and Amharic
Production:
Sabine Sidawi, Jinane Dagher
Sound:
Moncef Taleb
Subtitles:
Spanish and English
Screenplay:
Maher Abi Samra, Maya Abdul-Malak
Editing:
Rana Sabbagha, Ruben Korenfeld
Director
Maher Abi Samra
Born in Beirut in 1965, Maher Abi Samra studied theater at the Lebanese University of Beirut and film studies at the Institut National de l’Image et du Son in Paris. Shortly after, he worked as a photojournalist for Lebanese newspapers and international agencies. His career in cinema has focused on the documentary genre, encompassing both short and feature films. With Shatila Round-About, he won the Ulysse Award for Best Documentary at the Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival, while in 2010, We Were Communists was selected to participate in the Venice Film Festival. His latest production, A Maid for Each, was selected for the Forum section of the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival.
