See Unsee summary
“Yunan” by Ameer Fakher Eldin has just won the Arab Critics’ Award for European Films at the 2025 El Gouna Film Festival. For a film that quietly reflects on grief and exile, it’s a major recognition that shines a light not only on its poetic storytelling, but also on the growing resonance of Arab-European cinematic collaborations.
A piercingly intimate story carried by strong performances
At the heart of “Yunan” is a tormented Syrian writer, played with disarming fragility by Lebanese actor Georges Khabbaz. He arrives on a stark island in the North Sea, intending to end his life. What unfolds is not a dramatic redemption arc, but a slow, tender shift — one shaped by small interactions with the people around him.
Khabbaz’s performance is a quiet force. You feel the weight he carries in his silences, in his gaze. The presence of Hanna Schygulla, legendary figure of German cinema, adds a deeply human counterpoint. As the writer’s landlady, she brings warmth, strangeness, and a quiet moral strength that seeps into the film without needing loud gestures.
The landscape is minimal but rich in contrast — the coldness of the sea and sky echo the emotional numbness of the main character. But it’s through this muted backdrop that the film’s moments of connection stand out more vividly. I found myself unexpectedly moved by just a small exchange of words or the way a room felt less empty in the presence of another person. To read Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton face off in 2026’s Apex trailer
From Berlin to El Gouna: a film forged across continents
Having premiered at the 2025 Berlinale, “Yunan” continues a remarkable journey through top festivals. Ameer Fakher Eldin is only on his second feature, after “The Stranger”, but he’s already proving that his cinema carries a strong, personal voice — one that resonates both in Europe and across the Arab world.
The production itself mirrors the film’s thematic reach:
- Co-produced by Germany’s Red Balloon Film, Canada’s Microclimat Film and Italy’s Intramovies
- Additional partnerships with Fresco Films, Metafora Productions, and Tabi360
- Distributed across the MENA region by Mad Solutions
- International sales handled by Intramovies
This patchwork of collaborators reflects something I dearly appreciate in today’s cinema: the collapse of geographical boundaries in favor of shared stories that move us on a deeply human level.
A prize that boosts unheard voices
The Arab Critics’ Award for European Films, now in its seventh year, continues to create powerful bridges. Launched in 2019 by the European Film Promotion in partnership with the Arab Cinema Center, it aims to amplify diverse European cinema to Arab audiences. And crucially, it gives Arab critics the space to spotlight films that might otherwise not travel beyond Western screens.
Past winners have included bold and often politically charged works like: To read Ranking Shyamalan’s Hits: Which Film Defines His Legacy?
- God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya (2019)
- EO (2022), a surreal journey seen through the eyes of a donkey
- The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024), a haunting critique of repression in Iran
That “Yunan” now joins that list says a lot. It’s not a loud film. It doesn’t try to impress through scale or provocation. But it lingers. It grows on you like the sound of wind against glass or the quiet presence of a stranger who, suddenly, understands you.
Supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme, the award is also a nod to the evolving dialogue between Arabic and European cultures — not just through politics and news, but through emotions, people, and images that don’t need subtitles to leave a mark.
Watching “Yunan”, I was reminded of why I love cinema that takes its time. It’s not always about answers. Sometimes, it’s about finding a presence in absence — and letting something broken breathe again.
