Alephia 2053 Explained
| Alephia 2053 |
| Director: | Jorj Abou Mhaya |
| Producer: | Rabi' Sweidan, Marwan Harb and Jules Kassas |
| Music: | Karim Khneisser |
| Studio: | Spring Entertainment |
| Runtime: | 60 minutes |
| Country: | Lebanon |
| Language: | Arabic |
Alephia 2053 is a 2021 Arabic-language animated feature set in a desaturated future Arab world ruled by a despotic dictator. Depicting a dystopian future in which a group of activists overthrows an oppressive regime. The film was released on YouTube on 22 March 2021. L'Orient-Le Jour described it as the first fictional animated feature film for adults in Arabic.[1] Euronews considered it as a small revolution in Arab cinema and animation.[2]
Production
The animated feature was created by a Lebanese company, Spring Entertainment, with partial backing from French animation studio Malil'Art. The soundtrack and most of its graphical animation was done in Lebanon. The film was produced by Rabi' Sweidan, Marwan Harb and Jules Kassas and illustrated and directed by Jorj Abou Mhaya. According to Sweidan, the repression, resistance and revolution portrayed in Alephia does not depict the history of a single country but instead draws from familiar social conditions around the world. Multiple sources described the events of the feature as being similar to the events of the 2011 Arab Spring.[3] [4] [5]
Reception
After the release in March 2021, the film quickly went viral on YouTube and other streaming services.[6] As of 29 April, the feature had accrued over 8 million views on YouTube.[7]
Notes and References
- Web site: 2021-04-14. " Alephia 2053 ", " un film fait par nous et pour nous ". “Alephia 2053”, “a film made by us and for us”. fr. 2021-05-02. L'Orient-Le Jour. 2021-05-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20210503105830/https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1258531/-alephia-2053-un-film-fait-par-nous-et-pour-nous-.html. live.
- Web site: Alephia 2053 est le premier film d'animation arabe qui parle de la chute d'une dictature.. Alephia 2053 is the first Arab animated film about the fall of a dictatorship.. fr. April 28, 2021. Euronews. January 29, 2024. August 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230826094732/https://fr.euronews.com/culture/2021/04/28/alephia-2053-est-le-premier-film-d-animation-arabe-qui-parle-de-la-chute-d-une-dictature. live.
- Web site: 2021-04-19. Dystopie. "Alephia 2053", le premier film d'animation en arabe qui imagine la chute d'un régime autoritaire. Dystopia. “Alephia 2053”, the first animated film in Arabic which imagines the fall of an authoritarian regime. 2021-05-02. Courrier international. fr. 2021-05-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20210502065130/https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/dystopie-alephia-2053-le-premier-film-danimation-en-arabe-qui-imagine-la-chute-dun-regime. live.
- Web site: 2021-04-29. Alephia 2053, animated Arabic dystopian drama, crosses 8 mn views on YouTube. 2021-05-02. Firstpost. 2021-05-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20210502003248/https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/alephia-2053-animated-arabic-dystopian-drama-crosses-8-mn-views-on-youtube-9576191.html. live.
- Web site: 2021-04-28. Alephia 2053: 'Dictator toppling' film takes Arab world by storm. 2021-05-02. ARY NEWS. en-US. 2021-05-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20210502194306/https://arynews.tv/en/alephia-2053-film-arab-world/. live.
- Web site: Alephia 2053: Animated thriller strikes a chord in Arab world. 2021-05-02. www.aljazeera.com. en. 2021-05-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20210506061555/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/29/alephia-2053-animated-toppling-of-dystopia-takes-arab-streaming-world-by-storm. live.
- Web site: Lebanese animated feature depicts Arabs' future through past upheaval . 2021-05-02. AW. en. 2021-05-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20210503095041/https://thearabweekly.com/lebanese-animated-feature-depicts-arabs-future-through-past-upheaval. live.
