PRODUCTIONS: AHMED AND THE RETURN OF THE ARAB PHOENIX

DIRECTOR

PRODUCER

DURATION

VERSIONS

FORMAT

Giuseppe Bucciarelli

SD Cinematografica

26'

SD

In a land of wind and legends, a long forgotten myth is about to take wing again.
The Bald Ibis, the Arab Phoenix of the desert is back, re-discovered in a remote valley in the Syrian steppe by an Italian researcher and a group of Bedouins.
Ahmed and the Return of the Arab Phoenix is the story of a handful of visionary men who are fighting in the desert to protect what is left of the biodiversity of Al Badia, the semi-arid desert steppe stretching from the Iraqi border to almost the Mediterranean coast. Their efforts will be rewarded by the discovery, in a remote area, of the last Middle Eastern breeding colony of the Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) in the wild, one of the rarest migratory birds and a symbol of wisdom for the Bedouins of the desert...
Shot around the Palmyra oasis, Syria, not far from the Euphrates river and the Iraqi border, this documentary shows the efforts of the Syrian government to protect its natural heritage.

Awards

- Silver Remi Award at Worldfest Houston Film Festival, Houston, Texas, U.S.A (2008) - Best Documentary in the "Endangered Species and Habitats" category at EarthVision Film Festival, Santa Cruz, CA USA (2007). - Best Newcomer prize at the 4th Annual Montana CINE International, Missoula, Montana (USA,2007) - Merit award for the Use of Music at the "International Wildlife Film Festival", Missoula, Montana, USA (2006). - Best Newcomer prize at the "International Nature and Environment Film Festival" (2005, Teramo, Italy)