Director Saeed Taji Farouky is a Palestinian-British filmmaker and artist. He has been writing and directing documentaries and short fiction on themes of colonialism, conflict and human rights since 2004. This is his second film with Candle & Bell.
Strange Cities Are Familiar is a film about memories, guilt and resilience. It tells the story of Ashraf, a Palestinian father living in the UK, struggling to deal with experiences that haunt him: the promises he couldn’t keep, the family he couldn’t protect.
“When you’re making films outside the mainstream, making radical work and hoping that it can have an impact, what you crave more than anything is support. Mentorship. You need a family around you that can provide guidance and validation. That’s what this award means to me: a confirmation that, yes, what you’re doing is worthwhile.” Director Saeed Taji Farouky