France tv distribution is proud to announce its acquisition of Mother Valley (Original title: La nuit du verre d'eau), a film by Carlos Chahine.

This first feature has been selected in the "Panorama Longs Métrages" category of Festival Cinemed, the 44th occasion of which will take place in Montpellier from October 21 through 29, 2022, as well as in the "Horizons of Arab Cinema" category of Cairo International Film Festival which will take place from November 13 through 22, 2022.

Distributed worldwide by France tv distribution, Mother Valley was launched at the MIA in Rome, which took place from 11 to 15 October 2022.

Produced by 13 Productions, the film stars Nathalie Baye (César for Best Actress for The Young Lieutenant and The Nark), Pierre Rochefort (Farewell my Queen, Long Time No See, Going Away), Marilyne Naaman, Joy Hallack, Ruby Ramadan, Ahmad Kaabour and Antoine Merheb.

Synopsis

Lebanon, 1958. A civil war rages.

A young mother and model wife, Layla, spends the summer with her family in a remote village in the Christian mountains.
It’s wedding season but her two younger sisters, Eva and Nada, have no desire to follow in Layla’s footsteps by accepting an arranged marriage organized by their father, a broke feudal aristocrat.

This summer, an encounter with a French guy and his mother opens Layla’s eyes on her condition as a woman living in a patriarchal society, where female fates are decided by men – fathers, husbands, and even sons. For the first time ever, Layla suddenly stifles.

Carlos Chahine was born in the Lebanon but left in 1975 to escape the war. Cinema has brought him back to his roots, through both acting and directing. He is credited as writing and directing a family trilogy on the subject:

- La route du Nord (The North Road), a movie about the father, which has been awarded in several festivals (Best Film in the Dubai Film Festival, 2008, and Best Film in Tribeca Film Festival, 2009, among others)

- Tchekhov à Beyrouth (Chekhov in Beirut), a documentary about theater and the mother

- Le Fils du joueur (The Gambler’s Son), a film about the child and the beginning of the exile.

The film will be distributed in France by JHR Films and Jour2Fête and will be in theaters in 2023.

Mother Valley

Original Title: La nuit du verre d'eau

Directed by Carlos Chahine 

Cast: Nathalie Baye, Pierre Rochefort, Marilyne Naaman, Joy Hallack, Ruby Ramadan, Ahmad Kaabour and Antoine Merheb

Production: 13 Productions

Coproduction: Autres Rivages, Orjouane

French Distributor: Jour2Fête, JHR Films

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France tv distribution works with producers and licensors to maximise revenues from their programmes accross all media platforms encompassing video, VOD and music publishing, merchandising, magazine and book publishing, plus French and international distribution and fund-raising.

Since January 2017, France tv distribution has gone hand in hand with distribution films abroad. As a major player on the distribution of rights in France and in foreign markets, this new activity of trading feature films is added to its savoir-faire.