Chanting of the Dunes has so far won over 40 awards and 20 nominations!
The film takes viewers on a dazzling journey through multiple countries and during momentous world events that extend from the Levant in the 1920s to the U.S. and China in the 1990s.
Chanting of the Dunes recounts the life of Wahbi Al-Hariri-Rifai who was an accomplished international artist, architect, archeologist, and author. It is told through the mixed perspective of his wife, Widad Marachi, who married him at the age of 15. The fascinating storyline is full of unexpected turns and is accompanied by a superb award-winning soundtrack.
The film is beautifully illustrated through hundreds of meticulously restored black/white and color archival photographs and original footage.
According to festival managers, the film exceeds all expectations and represents a new cinematographic genre between narrative feature and documentary. Many have called it “extraordinary, moving, mesmerizing, full of messages…”
- Documentary Films, Experimental Films, Feature
Chanting of the Dunes
True story
1:26:00 mins
United States
English, French, Italian
Synopsis
Title:
Chanting of the Dunes
Award Year:
2025
Director:
Mokhless Al-Hariri
Other Credits:
Film Editor: Tod Hopkins; Narration: Nada Kouatly; Main Theme Composer: Amina Garcevic Tagaldin; Score Composer: Ali Sehir
Producer:
Maria Midani, Mokhless Al-Hariri
Writer:
Mokhless Al-Hariri
Director's Interview
Festival:
2025
Category:
Documentary Films, Experimental Films, Feature
Country:
United States
Language:
EnglishFrenchItalian
