Mohamed Jabaly’s documentary leaves audiences with a new philosophy – “Al Haya Halwa (Life is Beautiful)“
By Reema Najjar
While visiting Tromsø, Norway, in 2014 for a film festival, Mohamed Jabaly finds himself trapped when news arrives that the borders are indefinitely closed. Jabaly is not yet aware that his short visit will turn into seven years of Norwegian winters.
“I have a feeling this one will make me cry,” I thought to myself before entering the TIFF Lightbox on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, for this year’s Toronto Palestine Film Festival. I was awaiting the screening of Jabaly’s award-winning 2023 documentary, Life is Beautiful (Al-haya halwa).
The film captures not only the heart and soul of Gaza but also those closest to it. Jabaly takes the audience through a whirlwind of emotions; his personable approach to film, dedicating the documentary to his late mother.
The Palestinian-Norwegian filmmaker’s Life is Beautiful follows his journey through Gaza and Tromsø — Gaza’s sister city. Told through Jabaly’s personal lens, the film combines various cinematic techniques, primarily using a vlogging-style approach to capture passing moments between Tromsø and Gaza.
Life is Beautiful not only follows Mohamed Jabaly‘s journey but also reflects on his past success with Ambulance. Released in 2016, Ambulance gained significant attention during the festival circuit, winning various awards for showcasing Jabaly’s experiences working with an ambulance crew in Gaza.
Through Life is Beautiful, Jabaly not only explores his present-day experiences but also revisits the impact of Ambulance, the audience peers into hardships faced with gruesome scenes of injured patients as a young medic; his soul holding him down to his duty to honour his homeland. The film gained him international recognition as a filmmaker.
In this documentary, Jabaly takes us through his first snowfall, ski trip and snowy nostalgic nights. But, the film centers around the moments in which he speaks to his mother and can forget the worries surrounding them. Life is Beautiful — a mantra repeated throughout the film serves as a reminder to the audience, and perhaps to Jabaly himself, to not take pity on his own story.
Instead, the filmmaker recounts the sunsets by the Gazan beaches and the laughs shared amongst friends. Most importantly, the beauty of the Norwegian community that embraced him while navigating harsh waters.
Life is Beautiful, with a runtime of 93 minutes, initially premiered in Canada on Apr. 30, 2024 at Hot Docs International Documentary Festival.
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