The Making of Aida Returns | Carol Mansour
In this episode of Kawalis, documentary filmmaker Carol Mansour joins us at the afikra studio in Beirut to talk about her latest work Aida Returns which launched this March 18th in 44 venues around the world.
The documentary film follows the director's mother, Aida, who left Yafa in 1948 to settle in Beirut, then in Montreal. Suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s, she lost her memory along with her sense of identity, except for her memories of Yafa. When she passed away, her daughter decided to “return” her to Yafa. With the help of a set of willing strangers, Aida makes it back to rest where she belongs.
Carol takes us through the making of the documentary, what it was like to bring her mother back to Palestine, and how she finds humor and tenderness in heavier moments. This conversation grapples with Palestine and the idea of the ""right to return"" through a powerfully personal lens that speaks to a wider collective experience.
Carol Mansour is an independent documentary filmmaker. She founded Forward Film Production in 2000 in Beirut, Lebanon. With over 25 years in documentary production, Mansour achieved international recognition and honor for her films, with over 50 film festival screenings and official selections worldwide. Her other well-known work includes ""Stitching Palestine"" and “We Cannot Go There Now, My Dear”.
Aida Returns is a poignant, sometimes sad, sometimes painful, sometimes humorous, often absurd story of a multiple journey: the journey of loss as the director’s mother Aida struggled with losing herself to Alzheimer’s disease, but finding solace in her repeated “returning” to the Yafa and Palestine of her youth; the journey of the loss of a parent; and the ultimate return journey to Yafa where Aida would finally find rest and be herself once more.
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Kawalis
This series dives into the performing arts, from the Arab world’s best stages to the small and big screens. We zoom in on the work of some of the most noteworthy Arab actors, directors, scriptwriters, cinematographers, stage designers, producers, and crew behind some of the best productions from the region.
