Film guide 2007
Captain Abu Raed
A discarded pilot’s cap turns an airport cleaner into a neighbourhood storyteller with an unexpected responsibility.
- Original title
- كابتن أبو رائد — Captain Abu Raed
- Director
- Amin Matalqa
- Year
- 2007
Editorial profile. Availability on LAREINE TV has not been confirmed.
Story, without spoilers
Abu Raed has travelled through books rather than aeroplanes. When neighbourhood children mistake the airport cleaner for a pilot, he shares imaginary adventures with them. Their growing friendship reveals difficulties beyond the stories, while his acquaintance with Nour, a real pilot, opens another connection.
Context & recognition
Amin Matalqa’s first feature combines a story about imagination with attention to education, family pressures and unequal opportunities. It received the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008.
Main characters & cast
Abu Raed
Nadim Sawalha
An airport cleaner mistaken for a widely travelled pilot.
Nour
Rana Sultan
A pilot who develops a friendship with Abu Raed.
Murad
Hussein Al-Sous
One of the children in Abu Raed’s neighbourhood.
