Fragments from Heaven (2022)

DESCRIPTION

The Moroccan desert has recently experienced several large meteor showers. In its arid lands now, rest some celestial pieces.

«Fragments from Heaven» tells the story of Mohamed, a nomad in his fifties who lives with his family in a tent in a remote area of the eastern Moroccan desert. In order to change the difficult living conditions of his family, he decides to go in search of meteorite fragments. For him, these objects represent an opportunity to transform their lives forever. It is also the story of Abderrahmane, a scientist who relies on these meteorite fragments to pursue his research on the origins of the Earth and life.

One is linked to the Earth, the other to the sky. One tries to survive in the hostility of the unchanging desert, the other to understand how the Earth manages to survive in the cosmos.

Their quest merges with a spiritual quest that echoes with everyone else’s.

In between, other Bedouins connect us more to human concerns. All of them do not imagine that this quest will lead them far beyond the simple hunt. Behind these objects, fragments of human complexity are hidden. The quests of these men reveal them.

REVIEWS & INTERVIEWS

Interview with Giona Nazzaro and Adnane Baraka – Locarno Film Festival – YouTube, August 31, 2022

Interview with Adnane Barake by Università della Svizzera italiana, August 19, 2022

“Ending with a Tree Of Life-like (Terrence Malick, 2011) evocation of the sun burning and lights flaring and fire piercing the cosmos, Baraka finally aims for profundity and awe — reminding us of the infinite potential of the universe around us, small shards of which are more likely to collect in the Moroccan desert than almost anywhere else on earth. Nonetheless, these moments do come after plenty of ponderous takes. There is a lot to think about, but a lot of wading through the desert is needed to get there.”

Redmond Bacon, Dirty Movies, 11.8.2022

It is as if we could see and hear the stillness and quietness. Even the background music is more of a white noise that only pushes forward this feeling of emptiness where all you can hear are your own thoughts.

Modern Times Review, Eliska Novosadova, 16 September 2022
DIRECTED BY
Adnane Baraka, Morocco & France, 2022, 84´
FESTIVALS
WP: Locarno IFF - Concorso Cineasti, French premiere: États généraux du film documentaire - Lussas, Nordic premiere: Mirage Norway, DOK Leipzig - Audience Competition, RIDM Montreal, Festival dei Popoli -International Competition, MEDFILM - Rome, Marrakech IFF, Porto Post Doc, Red Sea IFF, Duhok IFF, Cinema Verite Iran IDFF, CPH:DOX, DOXA Vancouver, Gabes FF Tunisia, Millenium Docs Against Gravity, Trento FF, AFLAM, AL FILM Berlin, FCAT Spain, CineMAS Abu Dhabi, FIDADOC Agadir, Sole Lucan Palermo
Awards
Lima Alterna FF - Best Feature Documentary, Duhok IFF - New Talent Award, MIRADAS DOC - Best film in Opera Prima Competition, Grand Prix Nouzha Drissi at FIDADOC, Doc For Future Award at Sole Luna Festival Palermo, The Black Iris for Best Arab Feature-Length Documentary at Amman IFF, Lessinia d´Oro - top award of Lessinia Film Festival, Message to Man - Special Centaur Prize
Broadcasters & distribution
2M Morocco, France: Lyon Capitale TV France, MENA: Asharq News & Asharq Discovery, Italy: Trento 365 Distribution
DIRECTOR BIO

Adnane Baraka (1987), a Moroccan independent filmmaker born and lives in Marrakech. After studying at ESAV film school in Marrakech/Morocco, Adnane graduated in directing in 2011. In 2010, he directed his first short documentary «Talbanine”, awarded in FIFE Casablanca. In 2019, he finished his first documentary feature Wandering stars. Fragments from heaven, his feature debut, is a film that Adnane has been working for 8 years. He is also a musician, researching in acoustic and synthetic sounds through InCave and SENT projects.