Rania Stephan’s new film premieres at Berlinale

Overview

Lebanese filmmaker Rania Stephan’s new film Memories of a Private Eye premiered at Berlinale on February 11, 2015. The film was commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation.

Evoking the language of film noir Memories for a Private Eye attempts to unfold deep and traumatic memories from the narrator’s personal archives by invoking a fictional detective. The film uncovers the wounds and the pain experienced with the loss of a loved one – in this case the filmmaker’s mother. The film tackles the themes of love, war, life, death and what remains of the memories when one loses a loved one. It is a powerful intertwining of fiction, documentary and archival elements from personal and public sources.

The element of reality in the film inevitably triggers an emotional connection with the audience; raising questions such as how do past decisions made by society affect an individual’s future. Do emotions from the loss of loved ones heal over time? How does one cope?

The film premiered at the 65th Berlinale, an important international film festival that takes place each year in Berlin Germany.