In a claustrophobic neighborhood in
East Amman, “The Alleys” explores the
niche details of life, where gossip and violence run rampant.
اضافة اعلان
The debut film of
Bassel Ghandour, who cowrote the
Oscar-nominated short “Theeb”, released in cinemas. At the start of
the movie, it tells the audience to “believe half of what you hear and
two-thirds of what you see.”
Ali (Emad Azmi) and Lana (Baraka Rahmani) are
engaged in a discreet love affair, but when Lana’s mother Aseel (Nadira Omran)
is sent a compromising video by a blackmailer, she seeks out a local gangster,
Abbas (Monzer Reyahnah) — leading to tragic consequences.
With the narrator’s voice in the background of the
characters’ tumultuous daily struggles, the audience is kept in suspense as the
dark comedy, mystery thriller, and crime drama unfolds.
Story in chapters
The film is divided into
five chapters, the first of which — “Hustle” — introduces the audience to the
characters’ daily life and sets up the story to follow. It establishes Ali and
Lana’s relationship, her mother’s disapproval, and more.
As the narrator tells us: everyone knows everyone’s
business and the story will spread like wildfire.
Characters to reveal more
Ghandour’s film has strong,
memorable moments. It might be one of the best in recent Jordanian cinema. It
creates an uneasy tension where everything that is seen and (over)heard in this
tightknit community could decide the fate of the characters.
The beginning of the film sets itself up as a mix
between 1950s
Egyptian cinema and Martin Scorsese’s first films like “Mean
Streets”.
In the fifth chapter, “Checkmate”, the plot
thickens, as all the characters find their paths converging.
The film manages to balance myriad details and
intrigues without missing a beat or creating confusion. It is clear the film
was handled with care and patience across the board, from management to
execution.
While the film makes no claims to real events, the
dialogue and action is so sincere that it breathes life into everything it
portrays — reality, even if we believe half of what we see and two-thirds of
what we hear.
Ali is pushed to dangerous lengths to create a
better life for himself and Lana, and even Abbas finds himself in a precarious
position when he is the victim of a horrifying act of revenge.
As the gangster discovers, the iron fist with which
he has ruled the neighborhood and his gang is coming undone, forming a catalyst
for an increasingly frantic — and deliberately outlandish — series of events.
Each cast member’s presence means none of the
characters fade into the background; each has autonomy and presence in their
own story.
Each has found a way to navigate the challenging
landscape in which they live, however aggressive and manipulative they must be.
Awards and festivals
The Alleys’ world premiere witnessed a massive turnout at the iconic
Piazza Grande of Locarno Film Festival — the first Jordanian feature film to be
selected at Rotterdam & Locarno. It also sold out tickets at the BFI London
Film Festival.
Its Arab premiere was held at the
Red Sea International Film Festival, and the film also took part in Festival du Premier
Film d’Annonay, France, among other international festivals.
The film won the “Works in Progress Post-production
Development Award” at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and won two
awards for films in post-production at Cairo Film Connection of Cairo
International Film Festival.
Top-notch film funding institutions supported the
film’s development, including the
Jordanian Royal Film Commission, the Jordan
Film Fund, and the Doha Film Institute.
Suspense through visuals
Visually,
The Alleys’
framing is realistic. Matching the neighborhood’s narrow alleys, the audience
is made to feel claustrophobic. It maintains a sense of energy, plunging the
audience into the dark shadow world where criminality festers in dimly lit
streets; the talented work of cinematographer Justin Hamilton.
The Alleys has a lot of revelations at the end, but
one thing is for sure: it will surprise you.
The stunning details of the neighborhood and its characters
are presented in a fun adventure that makes The Alleys a remarkable Jordanian
film to be proud of.
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