Al-Yazerli (1974)

The Yazerli is the foreman who provides work to day laborers. The film’s poetic, non-narrative structure simulates the fractured thoughts of a young boy who is forced to leave school and find work on the docks. Using minimal dialogue but evocative music and sounds, separate vignettes introduce characters the boy encounters in a single workday. The filmmaker explores the child’s vivid imaginary world while tangibly conveying the physical harshness and repressed sexuality of a life spent in poverty and manual labor. Based on a novella by Hanna Mina.

• Release Date: 1974-01-02
• Runtime: 1h 35min
• Production Company: المؤسسة العامة للسينما
• Production Country: Syrian Arab Republic
• Director: Qais Al-Zubaidi