Synopsis:
The President tells the story of a dictator who comes face to face with the people he previously subjugated.
The President and his family rule their land with an iron fist, enjoying lives of luxury and leisure at the expense of their population's misery. When a coup d'état overthrows his brutal rule and the rest of his family flees the country by plane, The President is suddenly left to care for his young grandson and forced to escape.
Now the country’s most wanted fugitive with a bounty on his head, The President begins a perilous journey with the boy, criss-crossing the country to reach the sea where a ship waits to bring them to safety. Posing as street musicians and traveling together with the people who suffered for years under the dictatorship, the fallen President and the innocent child will be exposed firsthand to the hardships that inspired unanimous hatred for the regime.
- " Golden Hugo " for the best film from Chicago International Film Festival, Uited State, 2014
- " Audience Award " for the Best Film from the 15th TOKYO FILMeX International Film Festival, Japan, 2014
- " Société Générale Award " for Best Feature Film by the audience vote from the 14th Beirut International Film Festival, Lebenan, 2014
In the course of the Arab spring several dictatorships of the region collapsed (Ben Ali, Mubarak, Gheddafi), but more than 40 are still in power worldwide. But even in those countries that seemed to take a step forward towards Democracy we have witnessed a great deal of violence, before and after the collapse of the old regimes. Hundreds of thousands people have been killed and millions more have been injured or become refugees.
As the result of all this violence, the road to Democracy after dictatorship appears more and more difficult for these countries. How can these nations possibly reach Democracy and recover from these terrible conflicts?
Following the collapse of any dictator, king or president - the violence used against them by the people will result in new violence later on. The new ruling party, having witnessed this, will not want to relinquish power, as they are frightened of meeting the same violent end. Therefore they resort to every possible means to hang on to their power, even killing the people of their own Country if necessary.
THE PRESIDENT is a modern fable about power, reconciliation, and the hope for breaking a never ending circle of violence, exploring the possibility of stopping the violence after a revolution in search of Freedom and Democracy.
Original Title: The President
Director: Mohsen MAKHMALBAF
Writer:
Mohsen MAKHMALBAF
Marziyeh MESHKINY
Cast:
Misha GOMIASHVILI
Dachi ORVELASHVILI
Guja BURDULI
Ia SUKHITASHVILI
Zura BEGALISHVILI
Lasha RAMISHVILI
Soso KHVEDELIDZE
Dato BESHITAISHVILI
Eka KAKHIANI
Nuki KOSHKELISHVILI
Elene BEZARASHVILI
Tekla JAVAKHADZE
Davit DVALISHVILI
Producer:
Maysam MAKHMALBAF
Mike DOWNEY
Sam TAYLOR
Vladimer KATCHARAVA
D.O.P: Konstantin Mindia ESADZE
Editor:
Hana MAKHMALBAF
Marziyeh MESHKINY
Art Director
Mamuka ESADZE
First Assistant Director:
Hana MAKHMALBAF
Second Assistant Director:
Anna MARIAKHINA
Rusudan CHKHONIA
Salome JUGELI
Sound Recorder:
Nika PANIASHVILI
Sound Designer:
Maysam MAKHMALBAF
Costume Designer:
Ketevan KALANDADZE
Music:
Guja BURDULI
Tajdar JUNAID
Daler NAZAROV
Kvicha MAGLAKELIDZE
Co-producer:
Mathieu ROBINET
David GRUMBACH
Rudolph HERZOG
Henning BRUEMMER
Productions:
Makhmalbaf Film House Productions
Film and Music Entertainment
20 Steps Productions
In coproduction with:
Bac Films
Bruemmer Und Herzog Filmproduktion
A Georgian-UK-French-German Co-Production
Color, 118 minutes, 2014,
International Sales:
Makhmalbaf Film House
BAC Films (France)
- Venice International Film Festival, Italy, 2014 (Opening film)
- Busan International Film Festival, South Korea, 2014
- Beirut International Film Festival, Lebenan, 2014
- Chicago International Film Festival, USA, 2014
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BFI London Film Festival, United Kingdom, 2014
- Warsaw International Film Festival, Poland, 2014
- Tokyo FILMeX International Film Festival, Japan, 2014
- International Film Festival Of India ( Goa) , India, 2014 (Opening film)
- Tbilisi International Film Festival, Georgia, 2014 (Opening film)
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Carthage International Film Festival, Tunnis, 2014
- Tertio Millennio Film Festival, Italy, 2014 (Opening film)
- The Best of Venice, Italy, 2014
- Tallinn Black Nights film festival, Estonia, 2014
- Kerala International Film Festival, India, 2014
-
Cineteca Italiana Film festival, Italy, 2015
- Portland Film Festival, USA, 2015
- Sofia International Film Festival, Bulgaria, 2015
- Movies That Matter Film Festival, Netherlands, 2015 (Closing film)
- Prague International Film Festival FEBIOFEST, Czech Republic, 2015
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Hong Kong International Film Festival, China, 2015
- Istanbul International Film Festival, Turkey, 2015
- Human Rights Nights Film Festival, Italy, 2015
- Transilvanian international Film Festival, Romania, 2015
- Brussels Film Festival, Belgium, 2015
-
Munich Film Festival, Germany, 2015
- Taipei Film Festival, Taiwan, 2015
- Jerusalem International Film Festival, Israel, 2015
- Summer film school Film Festival, Czech Republic, 2015
- Sakhalin International Film Festival, Russia, 2015
- Persian International Film Festival, Australia, 2015