The Burdened
In a rare film from Yemen, middle-class couple Ahmed and Isra’a struggle to raise their three children while facing multiple burdens: poverty, war, religion, an unwanted pregnancy…and no access to abortion. Winner of the Berlinale Amnesty International Film Prize.
Films from Yemen are rare, in part because of the country’s long-running civil war, now in its tenth year. Indeed, the impact of the war on the country and its citizens—there’s no running water; electricity is erratic; warring factions struggle for control—is one of the burdens faced by middle-class couple Isra’a and Ahmed. Ahmed works for Aden Television, but as a result of the country’s economic crisis, his salary has been suspended for several months. Meanwhile, he’s taken a second job as a taxi driver, but it isn’t enough to keep them and their three children in their comfortable apartment. Isra’a, who has also lost her job, sells her jewelry to make ends meet. This is the context in which Isra’a realizes that she is pregnant. Keenly aware that they cannot afford a fourth child, she is also worried about whether abortion is permitted under Islam. Religious and public opinion on the issue vary, which means that Isra’a’s personal misgivings are only the beginning. Clear-eyed, understated, and compelling, The Burdened tells a story that is at once specific to Yemen’s particular context, and relatable in any country where religion and politics threaten people’s ability to access the healthcare they need, and take care of themselves and their families.
- Original Language Title: Al Murhaqoon
- Director: Amr Gamal
- Principal Cast: Khaled Hamdan, Abeer Mohammed, Samah Alamrani, Awsam Abdulrahman
- Country: Yemen, Sudan, Saudi Arabia
- Year: 2023
- Running Time: 90 min.
- Producer: Mohsen Alkhalifi, Amr Gamal
- Screenplay: Mazen Refaat, Amr Gamal
- Cinematographers: Mrinal Desai
- Editors: Heba Othman
- Music: Chen Ming Chang
- Awards: Official Academy Awards® Submission 2024 (International Feature), Berlin Film Festival 2023 (Amnesty International Prize)
- Filmography: 10 Days Before the Wedding (2018)
- Language: Arabic
- Has Subtitles: Yes
- International Sales: Films Boutique