As If We Were Catching a Cobra

United Arab Emirates, Syria, France

Producers: Bernard Bloch, Frédéric Féraud

Production Company: L’Oeil Sauvage, Ramad Film

Project Logline:

In newspapers around the world, comic strips may cause laughter or inspire thoughts. They may also lead to court cases or even death, making them an excellent gauge of a nation’s freedom of expression – particularly in the Arab world. Through the works of artists in Egypt, Algeria, Syria and Palestine, this documentary offers an extraordinary look at the evolution of freedom of expression in the Arab world, revealing the hidden side of these cartoons in a time of unprecedented upheavals.

Hala Alabdalla was born in 1956 in Hama, Syria. Her films include Le Dessin de tous les matins (2009), Quand j'ai reçu ma première gifle (2009), Hé! N'oublie pas le cumin (2008), Je suis celle qui porte les fleurs vers sa tombe (2006) and Sur le sable, sous le soleil (co-director, 1998).