WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? is set to go on a wide festival tour in four different countries

Starting off its festival tour in Algeria, Mohammad Gotta’s Jordanian short film WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?, which was supported by the Royal Film Commission-Jordan, is poised to world premiere on Sunday, October 6th, at 2:00 pm at the Oran International Arab Film Festival, which will be running from October 4th to the 10th.

Immediately following its world premiere, the film will be screened simultaneously at two film festivals: the Sharjah International Film Festival (October 7-12), and the Linz International Short Film Festival in Austria (October 9-12), followed by a screening at the Middle East Now Festival in Italy (October 15-20).

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? follows a young artist in his twenties who abandons his family, refusing to submit to social constraints. Depressed, lonely, and stuck in his small derelict studio flat, he stumbles upon his elderly neighbor, a woman neglected by her family and in need of intimacy.

Despite their differences, the two develop an unlikely connection through their shared experiences of hardship and love of music.

With a blend of humor and drama, the film raises awareness about the importance of supporting the elderly and advocates for empathy and acceptance toward those facing personal challenges while also celebrating the beauty and strength of vulnerability, and encouraging acceptance as a core aspect of humanity.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? features MAD Rising Celebrity Faris Al Babri and the veteran voice actress Reem Saadeh, marking their second time sharing the screen following Netflix’s teen drama AL RAWABI SCHOOL FOR GIRLS.

Written and directed by Mohammad Gotta, the film is produced by Laura Haddadin, lensed by Zaher Jureidini, who is the cinematographer behind the Venice-bound SEA SALT, and edited by Eyad Hammam who worked on six episodes of AL RAWABI SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, with MAD World handling worldwide sales and MAD Distribution managing the film’s sales and distribution across the Arab world.

Mohammad Gotta is an experienced filmmaker/writer who prides himself on his ability to bring stories of emotion and connection to life. He has a keen eye for detail, allowing him to bring high-quality work to every project he tackles.

From many award-winning feature films to short films, TV shows, digital videos, and reality shows, Gotta didn’t leave off any part of the craft he didn’t work on. Moreover, his previous experiences as a scriptwriter mainly focused on developing the creative aspect of the project, giving it novelty and originality.  His debut short is THE SILENT RECORD, also distributed by MAD.