May 15, 2019 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
The Apollo of Gaza, a feature documentary directed by Nicolas Wadimoff in collaboration with Béatrice Guelpa, opens at the Cinémathèque québécoise and the Cinéma du Musée in Montreal and the Cinéma Cartier in Quebec City on June 14. Its theatrical release coming with Gaza once again in the headlines, the film plays out like an archaeological thriller, movingly portraying a region whose rich cultural heritage remains obscured by seemingly interminable conflict. The director will be present at a number of the screenings.
The Apollo of Gaza had its world premiere at the Locarno Festival in Switzerland, screening in official competition during the Semaine de la critique, the festival’s prestigious indie section. In Canada, the film premiered at the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) before hitting the international festival circuit, screening at DOK Leipzig and Copenhagen’s CPH:DOX, among others. It was also released in Swiss cinemas.
Wadimoff’s previous works include the documentaries Aisheen (Still Alive in Gaza), which won an award at Berlin in 2010, and Spartans, as well as the fiction films Opération Libertad (which screened at Cannes in 2012) and Stowaways, shot in Quebec and co-directed with Denis Chouinard.
The Apollo of Gaza is co-produced by Colette Loumède for the NFB, Philippe Coeytaux for Akka Films, and Irène Challand for Radio télévision suisse (RTS).
About The Apollo of Gaza (78 min)
In 2013, a statue of Apollo was found in the waters off Gaza, and then vanished under mysterious circumstances. Soon, rumours were swirling around this treasure coveted by all parties. This documentary investigation takes us into daily life in Gaza, a misunderstood and battered place that suddenly finds some dignity through a reminder of its glorious history.
Theatrical screenings starting June 14
- In Montreal:
Cinémathèque québécoise (original version with French subtitles)
Cinéma du Musée (original version with English subtitles)
- In Quebec City:
Cinéma Cartier (original version with French subtitles)
About the filmmaker
Swiss-born Nicolas Wadimoff is a writer, director, and producer. In 1990 he directed his first documentary, Le Bol, an official selection at the Locarno Festival. His first feature drama, the 1996 film Stowaways, was shot in Quebec and co-directed with Denis Chouinard, and went on to win many awards on the international festival circuit. Wadimoff’s work spans made-for-TV films, documentaries (L’accord, Spartans, and Jean Ziegler) and dramas such as Mondialito and Opération Libertad (a selection at Cannes in 2012) and attests to his engagement with social and political issues. His longstanding interest in the situation in Palestine can be seen in such early works as Les gants d’or d’Akka (1991) and the film Aisheen (Still Alive in Gaza), an award winner at Berlin in 2010, as well as in his collaborations with filmmakers in the region, working as an educator, director and producer. The Apollo of Gaza is his most recent film.
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Related Products
Electronic Press Kit | Images, trailer, synopses: The Apollo of Gaza
Associated Links
Cinémathèque québécoise
Cinéma du Musée
Cinéma Cartier
Locarno Festival
Montreal International Documentary Festival
DOK Leipzig
CPH:DOX
Akka Films
RTS