Edward Said Documentary Premieres at Toronto Film Festival
Edward Said: Between Worlds has had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, where it was selected for TIFF Docs, the festival's section for documentary features, according to Deadline.
The first screening took place on Saturday, 12 September at the Scotiabank Theatre. Further screenings were listed for Sunday, 13 September at 2:30 PM in Scotia 8 and at 8:50 PM in Scotia 6, according to TIFF's listings.
The film traces the life of Edward Said, the Palestinian-born scholar and activist described by TIFF as a renowned Palestinian-American writer. It tells the story of his advocacy for the Palestinian cause and his proposal for Palestinian-Israeli coexistence, Deadline reported.
It draws on decades of archives and presents Said in his own words, according to Variety. The documentary addresses the 1948 establishment of Israel and the dispossession of Palestinians known as the Nakba, and explores the legacy of Said's books and essays.
Said taught comparative literature at Columbia University. He served as an independent member of the Palestinian National Council from 1977 to 1991. Toward the end of his life, he argued for Palestinians and Israelis living together in a single democratic and secular state with equal rights.
The film is directed by Maiken Baird and produced by Sarah Mowaswes. Najla Said, Edward Said's daughter, serves as consulting producer. The three discussed the project in Deadline's TIFF Studio at the festival.
The filmmakers chose to make the documentary independently, they told The Hollywood Reporter. That means they financed and controlled the production outside the major studios and streamers.
For release, Dogwoof is handling international sales and Cinetic Media is handling United States sales. In plain terms, those companies sell distribution rights territory by territory to local cinemas, broadcasters and platforms.
