Molly Se-kyung
An air of anticipation and intrigue surrounded Noaz Deshe’s film XOFTEX as it swiftly won a Special Jury Mention at the Crystal Globe Competition of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. The groundbreaking film held its world premiere to packed audiences at the festival’s Grand Hall, earning enthusiastic applause and standing ovation, proving to be the talk of the town right from the beginning.
The film didn’t just score with the audience, but also with critics alike. The first batch of reviews lauded the film’s unique take on the refugee crisis. Damon Wise of Deadline celebrated the film for its ability to portray “the disorientation of the stateless mind” in a potent and unorthodox way.
Laurence Boyce from Screen Daily appreciated the offbeat style of storytelling that broke the conventional shackles, offering a fresh outlook on refugee narratives. In a similar vein, Susan Gottlieb of Cineurope admired Deshe for his attempt to redefine the traditional interpretation of the subject matter.
XOFTEX unravels the tale of Nasser, a Palestinian Syrian teenager, and his older brother Yassin who are stuck in a Greek refugee camp. They pass their days dreaming about making zombie films and moving to Sweden while waiting for a decision on their asylum application.
The narrative seamlessly weaves realism and surrealism to draw viewers into the heart of the global refugee crisis. The film stands as a testament to Deshe’s multifaceted talent, who not only wrote, directed, and edited but also scored and produced the film.
The film’s cast includes newcomer and rapper Abdulrahman Diab and actor and director Osama Hafiry amongst others, further enhancing the authentic and dynamic storytelling of XOFTEX.
Taking the Karlovy Vary Film Festival by storm, XOFTEX emerges as a meaningful and innovative force in the cinematic world, daring to redefine narratives and influence viewers with its compelling story about the refugee crisis.
