Friday 30 January sees the world premiere of Syrian filmmaker Hasan Kattan’s new film, Allies in Exile, at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Directed by Kattan and produced by Grain Media, the film is co-produced by Counterpoints Productions, Counterpoints Arts’ new production arm.
Allies in Exile tells the story of two Syrian filmmakers, Hasan Kattan and Fadi Al-Halabi, bound by a 14-year friendship forged in war. Their story takes an unexpected turn as years later, confined inside a UK asylum hotel, they document a new chapter shaped not by bombs, but by waiting, bureaucracy, and exile. Amid rising anti-refugee hostility, they turn the camera inward exploring friendship and displacement and how filming itself becomes an act of survival when the future is so uncertain.
“Behind the words ‘displacement’ and ‘refugee’, there’s always a huge story. If people ask me why I decided to come to Britain, I’ll tell them there was no ‘decision’. I am still stuck in that moment,” says Kattan, who began his career as a citizen journalist, filming on the streets of Aleppo.
The film is part of the first cohort of short films backed by the Displacement Film Fund. Established to champion and fund the work of displaced filmmakers, the fund is spearheaded by actor, producer and UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett, who will introduce the film at the festival.
Counterpoints Productions works with filmmakers to create powerful cinema that challenges dominant narratives on migration and centres lived experience. Watch this space for updates on where you can watch Allies in Exile upon its release.
Counterpoints Productions is a purpose-driven production studio telling powerful stories of displacement and migration that reach wide and diverse audiences. We produce, co-produce and collaborate on films that challenge dominant narratives, centre lived experience, and create meaningful cultural impact.
