Synopsis

"A Grave at the Border" is an intimate account of war and flight by Syrian refugee Rose Alkhaled, a unique female voice. Filmed in a small town in Germany, this atmospheric short immerses the viewer in the world of Rose’s memories that surface at night, when everyone is asleep. Rose tells her story through emotive sculptures made out of newspaper and performance of her poetry. Quiet night-time scenes are forcefully disrupted by Rose’s nightmares as they burst to the surface of her mind. The film is underscored by a sensual clarinet composition. While Rose’s story is deeply personal, this film also tells the story of millions of women who were forced to flee their homeland. Director Maren Hahnfeld’s films North of Eden and Winter in Eden were screened at the Ann Arbor Film Festival in Michigan, editor Alex Barratt’s feature London Symphony was nominated at the Edinburgh Film Festival and All the Colours of the World by composers Shrubshall and Kett was screened at the Berlinale 2023.

Cast and crew

About the director(s):
Maren Hahnfeld:
Maren Hahnfeld is an artist filmmaker specialising in non-fiction film and a senior lecturer at Kingston University. Her work has been screened internationally in galleries, film festivals and on television, most recently at the Ann Arbor Film Festival in Michigan, USA, and the Caldas da Rainha School of Arts and Design in Portugal. Maren’s projects investigate the lives of marginal communities through personal narratives that reflect social or political change. She has a particular interest in women's film, in representing the female experience on-screen through immersive projects.

Gallery