‘Saleem,’ Jordan’s First Animated Feature, Goes on a ‘Journey of Healing and Self-Discovery After Trauma’

variety.com:

Nick Holdsworth A young boy is fleeing war after his father is killed. All alone in the world, he finds a treasure map that will change his life — and give him the chance to heal from trauma.

The plot of “Saleem” — Jordan’s first feature-length animation — is a universal story of the horrors so many children around the world face today, its producers say.

Screening out of competition in the Families and Children section of the 3rd edition of the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, it is a tale of hope and light in a world where darkness destroys the spirit of too many children. “Saleem’s story is one of a journey of healing and self-discovery after trauma,” the director, Cynthia Madanat Sharaiha, told Variety in Jeddah.

She and her husband, executive producer Shadi Sharaiha, spent four years working with an international team of animators and consultants to create a story that weaves genuine means of treating psychological trauma into a story that at face value is one of adventure, challenge and ultimate healing. “The film highlights mental health issues for children, and we have also woven therapy modalities into the story,” the director said. “It is the story of millions of children around the world and in our region as well,” she added. “Usually when we tell those stories we focus on what happened.