Leila and the Wolves

Leila and the Wolves is a rich tableau of history, folklore, myth and archival footage. The film consists of a series of set-ups all featuring the same actors. A modern Lebanese woman (Nabila Zeitoni) who lives in London is organising a photography exhibit about women as forgotten heroes and martyrs of political conflicts. She disagrees with the official, colonial and patriarchal interpretations of 'history'.

She subsequently travels time from the 1900s to the 1980s, wandering real and imaginary landscapes in Lebanon and Palestine. The film reconstructs the daily, less spectacular and silent sacrifices women make that have influenced history just as much as their men’s military activities.

More Relevant Than Ever

Heiny Srour was born in Beirut in 1945, studied sociology there and ethnology in Paris. Since 1971 she has worked as a journalist and film critic, and she has made films since 1974 (Het uur van de vrijheid heeft geslagen). It took Srour six years to make Leila and the Wolves. The film is currently traveling the world once more, more relevant than ever.

A new, 2K restoration has been made by CNC – Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée to celebrate the release’s 40th anniversary.

Distributor Feministisch Filmkollektief Cinemien who originally released this film was ground-breaking when it came to increasing female filmmakers’ visibility and including those from the Global South.