Short synopsis
When Sami goes to his brother's wedding with his wife and kid, he unexpectedly gets stuck in his childhood village and can’t return to Jerusalem. In this trapped situation Sami will experience his world falling apart.
Sami lives in Jerusalem with his wife and kid. An invitation to his brother’s wedding forces him to return to the Arabic village where he grew up. After the wedding, with no explanation, the village is put under lockdown by Israeli soldiers. Chaos rises overnight amongst those stuck within the walls. Cut off from the outside world, trapped in an unexpected situation, Sami watches as everything falls apart.
Eran Kolirin
Born on 1973, in Tel Aviv, Eran Kolirin's feature film debut as a director, THE BAND'S VISIT (2007), thrust him into the international spotlight, winning critical acclaim and over 50 prestigious awards from around the globe, including eight Israeli Film Academy awards, two awards and a special mention at the Cannes Film Festival and two European Film Awards. THE EXCHANGE, his second feature film, was in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in 2011. In 2016, his third film BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS AND HILLS premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard. In 2018, THE BAND'S VISIT musical won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Filmography
2016: Beyond the mountains and hills / Meever Lharim Vehagvaot
2010: The Exchange / Hahithalfut
2007: The Band's Visit / Bikur Ha-Tizmoret
2004: The Long Journey (TV) / Hamasa Ha'aroch (TV)
Comments of the director
Let It Be Morning is a film about "The state of Siege”, a term coined by the great poet Mahmud Darwish. A siege that is no less internal than external. A story about the essence of that feeling: to be under siege.
Click to read more
I wrote the above about five years ago. It was around the time I was first approached by the Palestinian author Sayed Kashua who had asked me to adapt his beautiful, funny, cruel, absurd and sad tale for cinema.
It was an unlikely project to be entrusted with. A story told in Arabic about a Palestinian village, but was written in Hebrew by a Palestinian author. Considering the polarised world in which we now live, the idea seemed impossible.
But I am not sure films should be made unless they are impossible, which is why I was all the more drawn to and taken with this project.
I felt I had been entrusted with a precious gift: the faith of someone who has every reason in the world to be suspicious of me. The only fitting response, I felt, was to offer my own total faith. I had to find a way to completely open my heart and soul and have faith that we as humans can learn to recognise each other within ourselves.
This led to one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. I had to find Sayed's story in my body and my heritage and my historical memory. The result is I guess an absurd Jewish tale, set in a Palestinian village, or an Arabic tale told in some Yiddish dialect. Or maybe it’s just a human tale, that people have been telling and retelling for generations, about a cruel theatre of humanity, under siege and besieging, where the only thing that changes are the roles they play.
Then while making this film, the entire world came under siege which led me to realise just how universal this tale is.
But the cruelest twist of fate was yet to come.
Sayed wrote his book against a backdrop of conflict in October 2000, after 13 Palestinian citizens were killed by Israeli police. The unrest followed the provocative visit by Ariel Sharon, then head of the opposition, to the Temple Mount and the Al Aqsa mosque.
As I awaited news from Cannes, another war broke out. Again a politically-motivated nationalist provocation. Again all hell broke loose. Again the death of so many innocents. Again people clung to their old beliefs like comfy pillows. Again the fear. Again humanity resorted to segregation as the answer to all of its problems.
Naive as it may sound, I would like to dedicate this film to everyone living on that wounded piece of land which some call Palestine and some call Israel, and I would rather call Home.
Main Cast
Alex Bakri: Sami
Born in 1978 in the Palestinian village Beane in the Galilee/ Israel, Alex Bakri studied Cinema and Media in the College of Technology and Media Instruction in Tel-Aviv.
He was an actor in diverse cinema films such as “The Time That Remains” (2009) by Elia Suleiman. Since 2007, he has directed several short films such as “Ajameyoun” (2007).
Festivals: Voices Festival Toronto, Israel and New York festivals, and video installations. He then worked as a DOP and camera man (u.a. “Wajd” 2014 by Firas Roby, Award: ""Best Film"" at Lebanese ""Tyre International Short Film Festival 2014""; 'Cinema Jenin' (documentary) 2011 by Marcus Vetter; Award: German Camera Prize in section of cut 2012,Festivals: DIFF, IDFA). As a film editor he made a lot of short films and Video Art productions, then worked as an editor for the Palestinian TV in Ramallah.
Since 2013, he has been working as a freelancer for German Film- and TV productions (Basis Berlin, Kurhaus Productions Baden-Baden) as well as for the German TV (SWR Baden-Baden). He edited various documentaries, such as “Taste Of Cement” by Ziad Kalthoum, which won, amongst other European and international festivals, the European Doc Alliance Award 2017 in Locarno, and was nominated for the European Film Award 2017. He is currently in the selection for the Deutsche Filmpreis.
Juna Suleiman: Mira
Born in 1981 in Nazareth, Juna Suleiman is a Palestinian filmmaker, who graduated from Tel Aviv University, Faculty of Arts, Cinema and Television in 2006.
Juna directed, filmed, produced and co-edited her first feature documentary “Mussolini’s Sister;” world premiering at IDFA 2018 – First Appearance Competition. The film won two prizes at DocAviv festival in 2019 in Israel (Best Debut Film and Best Cinematography award.)
Juna is also the casting director of many notable feature films including “The Time that Remains” and “It Must Be Heaven"" by Elia Suleiman, “Omar” by Hany Abu Assad, and “Let it be Morning” by Eran Kolirin.
Juna is a former fellow at Akademie Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart / Germany (2013).
Salim Daw: Tarek
Born in 1950, Salim Daw graduated from Beit Zvi School of Stage Art and Cinema. He was lead actor in: “OSLO"", a 2021 HBO production directed by Bart Shayer; ""Gaza Mon Amour"", a 2020 Palestinian movie by the Naser brothers; “Let It Be Morning”, Eran Kolirin's film (2020); “Nafes”, series by Meyslon Hamud, Israel, HOT production (2020); “Awenti Popolo” Rafi Bokais film, Israel (1987); “Cup final”, Eran Riklis's film, Israel (1992); “The Curfew”, Palestinian film by Rashid Mshrawi (1993); “Max and Moris”, Yankol Goldwasers film, Israel (1993); “Flying camel”, Rami Naaman's film, Israel (1993); “The Milky Way”, Ali Nasar's Palestinian film (1997); “The recipient” Giacamo Batiatos film, France 2010. He wrote, directed, produced and acted in the “Mafatiah” documentary movie.
He was awarded Best Israeli film actor in 1989, and Best actor at the Anatalia Turkey Film Festival in 2020.
Ehab Elias Salami: Abed
Ehab Elias Salami is a Palestinian director and theatre actor in Israel who studied acting and directing at Haifa University. Since then he has been acting, directing, processing and writing as a freelance in many theaters in Israel.
Filmography: “The Attack” (2011) Ziad Doueiri, “The Savior” (2012) Robert Savo, “The Last Band in Lebanon” (2016) Ben Bachar, “Wajeb” (2017) Ann Marry Jasser, and ""Let It Be Morning"" (2021) Eran Kolirin.
Khalifa Natour: Mohamad
Izabel Ramadan: Zahara
Sayed Kashua
author of the novel Let It Be Morning
Sayed Kashua is a novelist, a screenwriter and a columnist. He has published four novels, and a collection of essays. Kashua is the creator and the writer of the TV shows: Arab Labor, and The Writer. His columns were published in Haaretz Newspaper, Le monde, Liberation, Der Spiegel, Die Ziet, New Yorker, The New York Times, Foreign Policy, La Pais, Corrier Della Sera, amongst many others. Let It Be Morning, Kashua’s second novel, was published in the original Hebrew in 2004. The novel was short listed for the International Literary Dublin Award (2008) and long listed for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize (2008). It was published in the USA (Grove/Atlantic), UK (Atlantic Books), France (Editions Olivier); Italy (Guanda); Germany (Berlin Verlag); Lebanon (Saqi); Israel (Keter).
Technical details
Original title: Vayehi Boker
International title: Let it be morning
Duration (min.): 101 min
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Format: 2K
Sound: 5. 1
Year: 2021
Original language: Hebrew, Arabic
Country(ies) of production: Israel, France
Production Companies: DORI MEDIA
Co-production Companies: LES FILMS DU POISSON
With the support of: Israel Film Fund, Channel 13, CNC Aide aux cinémas du monde, Région Ile-de-France, Pyramide, MIFAL HAPAIS, IFC- Barbara Dobkin
Main Crew
Cinematography: Shai Goldman
Editing: Arik Lahav-leibovich, Haim Tabekman
Music: Habib Shehadeh Hanna
Casting Director: Juna Suleiman
Art Director: Amir Yaron
Costume Designer: Doron Ashkenazi
Dresser: Mervat Hakroosh
Makeup Artist: Tanya Yerushalmi
Sound Design &mix: Aviv Aldema, Bruno Mercère
Sound Recording: Itay Elohev
Line Producer: Sana Tanous
Colorist: Isabelle Julien
International Press
Alibi Communications
Brigitta Portier
brigittaportier@alibicommunications.be
Tel : +32477 98 25 84
www.alibicommunications.be"
World Sales
The Match Factory GmbH
Domstrasse 60
50668 Cologne/Germany
phone +49 221 539 709-0
