Origin: Gaza | Fiction | Director: Susan Youssef | 80 minutes

---

Habibi

Susan Youssef

Habibi, a story of forbidden love, is a fiction feature set in Gaza. Two
students in the West Bank are forced to return home to Gaza, where their
love defies tradition. To reach his lover, Qays grafittis poetry across
town. Habibi is a modern re-telling of the famous ancient Sufi parable
Majnun Layla. The full Arabic title is Habibi Rasak Kharban, which
translates as "darling, something's wrong with your head."

Habibi is the first feature film by writer, director, and producer Susan
Youssef.
She is number 25 on the '100 Most Powerful Arab Women' list by Arabian
Business and has been named one of "25 New Faces" to watch for by Filmmaker
Magazine. Her five shorts have screened at venues such as Sundance Film
Festival and Museum of Modern Art (NY), and have been acquired for
distribution by Video Data Bank, Third World Newsreel, and Canadian
Filmmakers Distribution Centre.

Habibi won Best Film, FIPRESCI Prize, Best Actress, and Best Editor at the
Dubai International Film Festival in the Arab Muhr Competition.
Additionally, it received the Camera Novo, the highest prize at the Cinema
Novo Festival, Brugge. Habibi is also the recipient of the Grand Prize in
the Emerging Narrative program at IFP's Independent Film Week and is
supported by Co-Producer Dubai Entertainment and Media Organization, Zain,
Cinereach, Austin Film Society, Princess Grace Foundation - USA, Fonds
BKVB, Rooftop Films, Institute of International Education, Jerome
Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, Funding Exchange, A.M.
Qattan Foundation, Idioms Film, Panasonic, fiscal sponsor Women Make
Movies, Richard Linklater, and many other generous donors.

Since Habibi, Susan has made Source for the Tate Modern exhibition of
Little Sun. She now makes her next feature Marjoun and the Flying
Headscarf. The recipient of a Development Grant from the Doha Film
Institute and support from the Emerging Visions program of Lincoln Center
and IFP, Marjoun is an extension of Susan's short film which originally
screened at Sundance Film Festival. For more information on Marjoun, write
info@marjoun.com.

Director's interview: https://www.filmlinc.org/daily/interview-with-susan-youssef-habibi/

Trailer: http://www.habibithefilm.com/about.html

---

View trailer