By Jenny S. Li
According To The variety Jordanian filmmaker Darin J. Sallam is presenting her second feature project “Churching of Women” at Busan’s Asian Project Market, marking the first Jordanian entry at the APM.
Following her debut feature “Farha,” Sallam’s new project tells the story of a pioneer female author who experiences injustice in a colonial era dominated by masculine power structures.
“It became personal to me when I felt the responsibility as a woman and as an Arab to make this film and to use cinema as my tool to do her justice,” said Sallam.
Set in the Levant region in 1938 — encompassing present-day Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan — the story follows protagonist Fadia, who is grieving the loss of her parents and turns to her cousin for solace. Against her will, Fadia becomes trapped in an asylum while her cousin seizes her inheritance, depriving her of even her right to grieve. Sallam previously gained international recognition with “Farha,” which won Jordan’s first Asia Pacific Screen Award and was selected to represent Jordan at the 95th Academy Awards.
For the filmmaker, making movies carries significant weight. “I want to make films that move people and have value and that live on, and to do that I need to lead my work with honesty and to always challenge myself creatively,” she said.
Sallam noted that the 1930s Levant setting represents a geographically and historically neglected era in cinema. She aims to revive this historical backdrop and explore how colonial presence reshaped the entire region, creating lasting divisions.
“What we are all witnessing and living today is the consequence of what happened back then politically and historically, including what’s happening today in Gaza and Palestine,” she said.
Producers Deema Azar and Ayah Jardaneh expressed confidence in Sallam’s ability to illuminate this rarely explored period in Arab cinema.
“‘Churching of Women’ aims to give justice to women and to their representation on screen,” they said. “Our enthusiasm towards this specific project also lies in the new challenges Darin wishes to undertake in terms of storytelling and directing, which will allow audiences a new cinematic experience.”
The project seeks to secure $4 million in financing while finding international co-producers and exploring shooting locations.
