“Ping-Pong,” by Palestinian writer-director Saleh Saadi, competed in the development category of this year’s Cairo Film Connection, and won the I Sound Award, worth $20,000 in sound services, a Cinetech Award worth $5,000 in post-production services, and a Special Touch $1,500 cash prize. Variety spoke to the film’s producer, May Jabareen of Philistine Films.
What is the film’s story and some of the key themes addressed?
“Ping-Pong” is the story of Issam, living in the occupied 48 territories grappling with personal loss, as the war on Gaza erupts nearby. He finds unexpected refuge in nightly ping-pong games at his neighbor’s house. These games become a vital sanctuary, exploring how we preserve our humanity and find moments of joy and human connection amidst overwhelming grief and chaos. It’s a film about the quiet, resilient acts of survival.
Sound is an important part of the storytelling for this project. Can you explain the approach that will be taken?
Sound is a main character and an emotional force in this film and is built on stark realism. The sounds of warplanes, drones and distant explosions haunt the characters and shatter any fleeting moments of innocence and joy. The project also explores, primarily through sound, the rhythm of grief and its constant back-and-forth. We plan to create a realistic and precise soundscape to immerse the audience, ensuring that the tension and grief of the experience in occupied Palestine while the atrocities a few kilometers away unfold and are never forgotten.
What is the current stage of the project?
We’ve completed the first draft and are working on the second draft. We received a prize from Masna3 (a new initiative from Tunis, by Mehdi Hmili and Moufida Fedhila), a combination of cash and in-kind consultancy, and last month participated in the Doha Film Institute Producer’s Lab.
What are the benefits from attending the Cairo Film Connection?
Even though we won’t be present physically at Cairo Film Connection, due to the fact that we couldn’t acquire a visa, we hope the project will get wider exposure and be introduced to potential partners and collaborators. We look forward to receiving constructive feedback from professionals, especially the jury, which would be very beneficial to the project, especially at this stage.
What other projects do you have in progress?
I have been working with the director Annemarie Jacir and producer Ossama Bawardi for a few years on the period-epic feature film “Palestine 36,” as associate producer. The film had a Gala Presentation premiere at Toronto this year and is Palestine’s official selection for the best international film category at the Academy Awards.
The film begins in 1936, when the Arab Revolt stirred beneath the weight of the British rule, as the British Empire tightens its grip on Palestine. Amidst an anti-colonial revolt, and Jewish refugees fleeing persecution from Europe, all sides converge in a decisive moment for the entire region.
I also acted as the Palestinian co-producer for “House of Hope” by Marjolein Busstra, which premiered in IDFA this week, and was nominated for the Best Dutch Film Award. It’s an intimate, observational film about Manar, a Palestinian woman who runs a pacifist Waldorf school in the occupied West Bank with her husband Milad.
Amid escalating violence, stress, and uncertainty, they strive to provide a safe haven for young children.
In addition to the development of the feature film “Ping-Pong,” I’m developing a dramedy series set in Palestine, two feature length documentaries by Palestinian directors, and an animated series.