This Director Proves Everyone Can Act, If Only Given the Right Character

When Liz Nord spoke with first time Palestinian filmmaker Maysaloun Hamoud back at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, her narrative feature In Between (or Bar Bahar in Arabic) was just about to premiere. As with any new director, she had no idea what the response would be or what the coming year would bring. But her film’s path has been particularly unpredictable, leading to three awards in San Sebastian, Hamoud being hand-chosen by Isabelle Huppert to receive the Young Talents Award at Cannes, and being issued the first religious Fatwa in Palestinian history. In their fascinating conversation, Hamoud shares her methods for trying to make audiences see themselves in her characters, working with non-actors, and what it was like to make the first film of its kind in her community.

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