To a Land Unknown

Chatila (Mahmoud Bakri) and his cousin Reda (Aram Sabbah) are Palestinian refugees grifting in Athens trying to raise the cash to pay for some fake passports that will get them into Germany, where they hope to set up a family-run café. They engage in some petty larceny and the latter man turns a few tricks in the local park. With their goal in sight, though, Reda uses some of their stash to buy drugs from the untrustworthy Abu Love (Mouataz Alshaltouh) which causes friction between the pair but also inspires Chatila to concoct quite a cunning plan. Theyve befriended the young Malik (Mohammad Alsurata) whose aunt lives in Italy and so relying on new-found friend Tatiana (Angeliki Papoulia) - who actually has a valid ID card, they hope to pro...

For those seeking sanctuary and the prospects of a better life, the hope of reaching a promised land holds an abiding attraction. Thats particularly true for those who are desperate to change their fates, and perhaps no one understands this better than refugees seeking to flee their circumstances. Unfortunately, that promise is often just that a promise and one thats frequently and perpetually out of reach. Such are the conditions addressed in writer-director Mahdi Fleifels narrative feature debut, the story of Palestinian cousins Chatila (Mahmoud Bakri) and Reda (Aram Sabbah), who, like many Middle Eastern migrants, have left behind their lives in Lebanese refugee camps for the hope of a better future in Europe. Their goal is to relocate...