Lebanon, Arabic - 90 min
Feature Narrative
TOTAL BUDGET
US $800,000
CONFIRMED FINANCING
US $489,000
Primary Contact
wehbejana@yahoo.com
jana@theatticproductions.com
+96170963855
In a small Lebanese town, a mother struggles to lend support to her estranged and newly-divorced daughter, as both women come to terms with their unresolved wounds.
The Maiden's Pond tells the story of Salma and her returning estranged daughter, Thuraya. It chronicles their attempts to preserve, maintain, and reconstruct their lives with—and against—each other. Salma had survived many years of hardship while protecting her own independence; she found her peace by letting go of any attachments. However, and despite her best efforts, the past does not let go of Salma. Instead, it brings back Thuraya; defeated, divorced, and pregnant.
What connects the two women of The Maiden's Pond is the inheritance of loss and pain, handed down through the generations, despite action or rebellion. In such a context, verbal communication is impossible, apologies are not available, and forgiveness is not an option.
Forgetting, ignoring, and surviving might be all that is left—a lesson that goes against the grain in a present that is all too keen on resolutions, endings, and moral lessons.
Salma reluctantly returns to her state of motherhood, only to discover that this option is not available any more. Thuraya returns to her past in search of a trauma that might be resolved, only to discover that there is nothing to unveil.
Moving forward often requires letting go of the past, aborting it, and discovering a different self—one that can provide some comfort for the time that remains.
Throughout the journey of making this film, Bassem and I were always keen on telling the story through images and sounds; less dialogue, and more state progressions.
When I first read the script of The Maiden's Pond, it was obvious to me that this is not a portrait of a woman who is a victim, but a woman with a choice, and a woman who took the reins of her life into her own hands. It was not a reconciliation attempt for the daughter, either, but a statement of existence. Nor was it a touristic look upon a Lebanese village in Mount-Lebanon, but a weight that can carry a society on people’s decisions and lives.
Through The Maiden's Pond, we embark on an internal and physical journey with these two women. While reuniting as “mother and daughter” will not be the endgame, progressing forwards as two women will be the only satisfactory outcome.
Line Producer:
2017: Taste of Cement
2016: Après
2016: Tombé du ciel
2012: Lebanese Rocket Society
2011: Tannoura Maxi
Producer:
2019: Beirut Terminus
2016: This Little Father Obsession
2014: Revoltango
2013: Talej
2010: 2 1 / 2