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Life is Beautiful

Mohamed Jabaly

/ Norway, Palestine

/ 2023

/ 93 mins

/ Arabic, English, Norwegian

New Zealand Premiere

Stranded and stateless.

A young Palestinian filmmaker invited to tour Norway to share images of his hometown, Gaza, is stranded when the border closes indefinitely. Applying for residency, he finds himself stuck in the Arctic, stripped of his identity when Norway refuses to recognise an independent Palestinian state.

Thus begins a bureaucratic odyssey. Using his personal archive and video calls, he shares his longing for home, friends, and family, all while trying to adapt to life in the Arctic. As much a love letter to Gaza as to his adopted hometown, Tromsø, the film embodies the empowering force of storytelling.

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Film Info

Director: Mohamed Jabaly

Producer: Kristine Ann Skaret, Sarah Winge-Sørensen

Country: Norway, Palestine

Language: Arabic, English, Norwegian

Year: 2023

Duration: 93 mins

Category: Bridges of Understanding

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