feature film

To A Land Unknown

‘A gripping thriller about friendship, exile and survival.’

 

STORY

Chatila and Reda are Palestinian refugees stranded in Athens, living on the fringes of Europe and dreaming of a life beyond it. Their plan is simple: save enough money to buy forged passports and make the journey to Germany, where they hope to build a future that has always seemed just out of reach.

When the money they’ve worked so hard to save is stolen, desperation drives them into a dangerous spiral of scams, theft and impossible choices. Along the way they encounter Malik, a young boy travelling alone, whose arrival forces them to confront not only the cost of survival but also what remains of their own humanity.

Set against the streets of contemporary Athens, TO A LAND UNKNOWN is both a gripping thriller and a deeply moving portrait of friendship, displacement and statelessness. Directed by Mahdi Fleifel, the film draws on years of lived experience and observation to tell a story that is intensely personal yet resonates far beyond the lives of its protagonists.

Premiering in the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, TO A LAND UNKNOWN continues Inside Out Films’ commitment to bold, politically engaged cinema that places human stories at the heart of global events.

▶ WATCH TRAILER

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WATCH THE FILM

The film is also available on selected streaming platforms and educational licences in various territories. Current availability can be checked via:

🎬 Sales Agent – Salaud Morisset

🎬 JustWatch

🎬 Amazon Prime

🎬 Letterboxd

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PRESS KIT & IMAGES

Download press materials, stills, biographies, production notes and filmmaker statements: HERE

Press Kit HERE

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AUDIENCE & REVIEWS


Letterboxd

IMDb (7.2/10)

Rotten Tomatoes

“A smart, well-made film.”The Guardian

“A suspenseful yet melancholic drama.”The Observer

“A film crafted with tremendous empathy.”Variety

“Arrestingly plotted and bracingly acted.”Screen Daily

“A brutally honest and empathetic portrait of the lives of Palestinian refugees.”Collider

“A bitter poem of Palestinian exile.”The Film Stage

“A powerful blur between documentary and drama.”Screen Rant

“Powerful and unpretentious.”AwardsWatch

“A gritty drama about young Palestinians caught in an eternal state of exile.”The Hollywood Reporter

“Sympathetic story of stranded Palestinian refugees.”Deadline

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FESTIVALS & AWARDS

World Premiere

Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes Film Festival 2024 (Official Selection)

Major Awards

Golden Antigone – Cinemed Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival 2024
CineCoPro Award – Munich International Film Festival 2024
Best Actor – Mahmoud Bakri, Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2024
Audience Award – Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2024

Official Selections

– Toronto International Film Festival 2024
– BFI London Film Festival 2024
– San Sebastián International Film Festival 2024
– Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2024
– Palm Springs International Film Festival 2025
– Galway Film Fleadh 2024
– New Zealand International Film Festival 2024

and many others.

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FURTHER READING

The Guardian
How often do you see Palestinian stories in fiction?” by Kaamil Ahmed

MUBI Notebook
Film for Exiles: Mahdi Fleifel on TO A LAND UNKNOWN” by Caitlin Quinlan

Filmmaker Magazine
Palestinians in Purgatory: Mahdi Fleifel on TO A LAND UNKNOWN

The New Arab
Mahdi Fleifel on displacement and survival in TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Read more about the film at the
Directors’ Fortnight
and the
Palestine Film Institute.

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TEAM

Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Writers: Mahdi Fleifel, Fyzal Boulifa and Jason McColgan
Producers: Geoff Arbourne, Mahdi Fleifel
Co-Producers:Maria Drandaki,Layla Meijman,Maarten van der Ven andFrançois Morisset
Cinematography: Thodoris Mihopoulos
Edited: Halim Sabbagh
Music: Nadah El Shazly
International Sales: Salaud Morisset
UK Distribution: Conic
Languages: Arabic, Greek and English