Ameer Fakher Eldin’s second feature, Yunan, has been awarded the Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films during a special ceremony held on October 18 at the El Gouna Film Festival. Presented by European Film Promotion (EFP) in collaboration with the Arab Cinema Center (ACC), the award — now in its seventh edition — celebrates the dialogue between European cinema and the voices of Arab critics across the region.
A co-production between Germany, Canada, Italy, Palestine, Qatar, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, Yunan marks another milestone for the young director, who continues to build a deeply poetic and introspective body of work. Unable to attend the event, Fakher Eldin sent a heartfelt video message thanking the jury, the ACC, and EFP for what he described as a “beautiful recognition.” “To see Yunan now embraced by Arab critics feels profoundly moving to me,” he said. “In a way, maybe it means the film has finally found its way home.”
The film’s main producer Dorothe Beinemeier of Red Balloon Film accepted the award in El Gouna, praising Fakher Eldin’s quiet yet powerful storytelling: “Yunan, like The Stranger, is a slow, silent and melancholic piece. Ameer’s stories are not loud — they unfold in the most subtle and poetic ways. His films slow me down; they make me think and reflect. Every time I rewatch them, I find new layers, another angle. He’s a brilliant observer, an old and wise soul in a young man’s body. I’m very much looking forward to producing the third film of our trilogy.”
Yunan follows an Arab man who arrives on a remote North Sea island, intending to end his life. There, he is confronted with both nature’s untamed beauty and the guarded, conservative German community that inhabits the island. These encounters gradually erode his despair and reshape his understanding of belonging and existence. Against the backdrop of stark Nordic landscapes, Fakher Eldin’s film meditates on exile, trauma, and rebirth — exploring the silence that follows when one’s sense of home dissolves.
The film premiered in competition at this year’s Berlinale and went on to win the Golden Firebird Award for Best Actor (Georges Khabbaz) and Best Actress (Hanna Schygulla) at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Produced by Dorothe Beinemeier (Red Balloon Film, Germany) with Microclimat Film (Canada) and Intramovies (Italy), Yunan also counts Fresco Films, Metafora Productions, and Tabi360 among its co-producers. Intramovies handles world sales, while Mad Solutions is responsible for MENA distribution.
Launched in 2019 by EFP and the Arab Cinema Center, the Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films was created to highlight the diversity of European cinema and to strengthen its reach within Arab markets. The initiative also honors the vital role of Arab critics in bridging cinematic cultures and introducing new perspectives to audiences across both regions.
Once again this year, one hundred of the most influential Arab film critics took part in the selection and final vote before the winner was announced in El Gouna. I had the honor, along with other Tunisians, of being among these Arab critics, representing Tunisia within this prestigious jury that helps bring Arab and European cinemas closer together through reflection and exchange.
By honoring Yunan, Arab critics have once again celebrated a film that transcends borders — one that speaks softly yet powerfully about exile, silence, and the rediscovery of meaning. In doing so, the award reaffirms the unifying power of cinema and the ongoing conversation between Europe and the Arab world.
Previous winners include God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya by Teona Strugar Mitevska (2019), Undine by Christian Petzold (2020), 107 Mothers by Peter Kerekes (2021), EO by Jerzy Skolimowski (2022), Fallen Leaves by Aki Kaurismäki (2023), and The Seed of the Sacred Fig by Mohammad Rasoulof (2024). The award is supported by Creative Europe – MEDIA, the European Union’s program for culture and the audiovisual industry.
Founded in 2015 by MAD Solutions, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) is a Berlin-based non-profit organization that serves as a global platform promoting Arab cinema. Through its stands, professional meetings, and the Arab Cinema Magazine distributed at major film markets, the ACC facilitates collaboration between Arab and international filmmakers, supporting co-productions, distribution, and international visibility.
Since its creation in 2017, the El Gouna Film Festival has become a dynamic space for artistic exchange and cultural dialogue. With its strong industry platform, CineGouna, it aims to nurture emerging voices and strengthen the Arab film industry’s ties with the global cinematic community.
Neïla Driss
