Life is what happens when you stop living for others and start living for yourself. This poignant tragicomic journey of courage follows Mona from early childhood, when she is inculcated to be a quiet, obedient presence in the world. She blossoms into a talented young artist, but years of repressing her feelings have impaired her emotionally, binding her to unhealthy relationships at work and at home. Still, there is a fierce, independent spirit that lies inside her, waiting to be liberated. Assured direction coaxes flawless, seamlessly connected performances from actresses Tanya Zabarylo and Olivia Landuyt in the title role as a young woman and young girl respectively.

Becoming Mona

Both born in the Golan Heights, bosom buddies Ezat and Bayan have lived their entire lives under Israeli occupation. Thanks to their Syrian parentage, they get the opportunity to go study in Damascus. The students are allowed to cross the border once a year, which means that they won't be able to visit their village for 12 whole months. With a considerable dose of self-confidence and testosterone, the two head off to a new life of opportunity. In Damascus, they want to discover their Arab roots and make their dreams come true, like so many other young people in the world. But the Syrian capital turns out to be a drab metropolis where they don't feel at home and they apparently have to be careful about what they say. People from the Golan Heights get the cold shoulder, and they will have to choose a side - between their new home and the village of their birth. They want to be free, but they also want to belong somewhere. From Shouting Hill, which is on the border between Syria and the Golan Heights, the boys call out to their families. Filmed from the perspective of these young fellows as they try to find themselves, a forgotten part of the Middle East conflict gets a human face.

Shout

The film tells the story of two friends who want to disappear from life. While their country Belgium is falling apart, two lost souls cling to each other.