Documentary
Refugees, Women's Issues
120 min

Batata

DIRECTOR: Noura Kevorkian

Format: 2K
Runtime: 120 min

10 years in the life of a Syrian refugee

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The Peabody-winning documentary BATATA follows an astonishing 10 years in the life of charismatic Syrian migrant worker, Maria, and her epic journey from pre-revolution days on the potato fields of Lebanon to life in refugee camps.

Unique among all refugee stories to date, Syrian-Lebanese director Noura Kevorkian’s intimate camera captures an entire decade of marriages, births, deaths, all the while documenting the unbending spirit of a woman who puts family ahead of all else.

AWARDS
****Peabody Award winner****
***Best Feature Documentary (Academy Award qualifying Tanit d’or) - CARTHAGE***
**Best Feature Documentary nomination - CSA CANADIAN ACADEMY AWARDS** 
**Amnesty Award - DURBAN INTERNATIONAL**
**Audience Award TOP 10 Films - HOT DOCS**
**Human Rights Award - CARTHAGE**
**Jury Award - Feature Competition - MÄLMO ARAB FILM FESTIVAL**
*Directors Guild Special Jury Prize (Honourable Mention) - HOT DOCS*
*Best International Documentary (Special Mention) - DURBAN INTERNATIONAL*
  OFFICIAL SELECTIONS (highlights)
  • International Competition FIPADOC, France
  • Juried Competition HOT DOCS, Canada
  • Amnesty International Award Nomination THESSALONIKI, Greece
  • Official Competition JOURNÉES CINÉMATOGRAPHIQUES DE CARTHAGE, Tunisia
  • Official Competition DURBAN INTERNATIONAL, South Africa 
  • International Competition IT’S ALL TRUE / É TUDO VERDADE, Brazil
  • Official Competition DOK.fest MUNICH, Germany
  • Official Competition KITZBÜHEL, Austria
  • Official Competition TERRAVIVA, Italy
  • Special Presentation MAN IN DANGER, Poland
  • Official Selection GALWAY, Ireland
  • Official Selection DOC EDGE, New Zealand
  • Official Selection ANTENNA, Australia
  • Official Selection FIN ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL, Canada

“Kevorkian’s eye for human interaction, and particularly between children, is remarkable… An extraordinary film.” - Marc Glassman, POV Magazine

“A beautiful film, and really powerful." - Matt Galloway, CBC The Current (start: 46’14”)

“A fascinating story and film" - Ben O'Hara-Byrne, Corus Radio

"An incredible hairpin turn!" - John Moore, Newstalk 1010

“Kevorkian seeks to open the eyes of her audiences to life beyond their own realities.” Now Toronto

“The Power List of Canadian Women in Film” Toronto Star’s The Kit

REVIEWS
POV Magazine ("BATATA - Extraordinary Work Ten Years in the Making")
Original Cin ("Top Picks for World's Biggest Doc Festival")
Classical FM ("Hot Docs Exemplary Picks")
POV Magazine ("BATATA Holds Top Spot in Audience Award Race")
 
PRINT

The Kit (“Meet the 2023 Power List of Canadian Women in Film”)

Now Toronto (“Meet Toronto’s Noura Kevorkian, A Peabody Award-winning documentarian”)

The Globe & Mail - Op Ed ("The Syrian Refugee Crisis Still Requires Our Urgent Attention")
Women and Hollywood ("Meet Noura Kevorkian - BATATA")
Original Cin ("BATATA Director on Life at a Lebanese Potato Farm/Refugee Camp through Syria and ISIS")
UNHCR News ("Canadian Filmmaker Chronicles the Life of a Syrian Refugee Family in Lebanon")
Hollywood North Magazine ("Noura Kevorkian Shares a Ten-Year Refugee Journey")
 
RADIO/PODCASTS
CBC Radio - The Current (start: 46:14)
Corus Radio - A Little More Conversation ("New Documentary Highlights Syrian Refugee Crisis")
Newstalk 1010 ("Noura Kevorkian Witnesses First Hand Repercussions of the Syrian War")
 
TV
Global News ("Chat with Director of BATATA")
CP24 (Interview with Noura Kevorkian)
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