From Abdul To Leila

US Avant-Première

In Arabic, English and French with English Subtitles

After suffering amnesia from an accident, Leila, a young French artist of Iraqi origin, reconstructs her history by reconnecting with her family and delving into her roots. She learns Arabic, interprets the poems of her politically exiled Iraqi father, and immerses herself in the history of the Gulf War in Iraq. An inner journey, an identity quest sublimated by her songs, bridging Europe and the Middle East.

Leila Albayaty is a French-Iraqi multidisciplinary artist known for her work as a film director, composer, singer, actress, and scriptwriter. Born in Auvergne, France, to a French mother and an Iraqi father, she pursued studies in violin, opera, architecture, and cinema before forging her own path as a self-taught artist.

Her debut short film, Vu (2009), received a Special Mention from the Jury at the Berlinale and was showcased at numerous international film festivals. She followed with her first feature film, Berlin Telegram (2012), which premiered at Indielisboa and won the TV5 Award for Best Francophone Film. In 2015, she released Face B, a hybrid documentary-fiction that premiered at the Berlinale Forum Expanded.

Her latest film, From Abdul to Leila (2024), is a feature documentary that delves into the intersection of Western and Arab cultures through the lens of her French-Iraqi family history.

Currently, Albayaty divides her time between Belgium, France, Germany, and Egypt, continuously exploring themes of cultural identity and personal narrative across her diverse body of work.

Event produced by Columbia Maison Française and co-sponsored by the Center for Palestine Studies and Middle East Institute.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Maison Française, 515 West 116th Street, New York, United States