BIO
Muhannad Lamin is a Libyan director, editor, and producer based in Tunis. He graduated with a degree in directing and screenwriting from Tripoli’s Art Institute. His short films have been screened at festivals, including the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, JCC and IDFA.
Lamin worked as a production manager and coordinator on documentaries such as Freedom Fields and After a Revolution. He is also a co-founder of Khayal Productions, a collective focused on creating impactful short documentaries and online series.
In 2023, Muhannad premiered his debut feature documentary, Donga, at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), where it was nominated for the Beeld & Geluid IDFA ReFrame Award for Creative Use of Archive. The film also received a Special Mention in the Best Documentary category at the Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA). Additionally, Donga was nominated for the DOK.horizonte Competition at DOK.fest München in 2024.
He is now developing his first feature fiction film, The Guardian, an adaptation of Ibrahim Al-Koni’s acclaimed novel The Bleeding of the Stone. The project delves into themes of environmental preservation, spirituality, and the delicate balance between humanity and nature, set against the rich backdrop of the Libyan desert.
filmography
80 – Short Animated Documentary – 2012
Documenting the days that Adel spent on the most dangerous political prison in Libya, A mixed style of Animation and live video was used to tell the story of 2 important days in Adel’s life.
Official selection-finalist Tropfest Arabia 2012
Open Doors Screenings: Locarno Film festival in 2015
Prisoner and Jailer – Short Fiction – 2019
The story of two contrasting Libyans, one a key official in the former regime, the other one of the most prominent figures of the post-revolutionary period in Libya.
Through these two characters, we discover the circumstances surrounding one of the most influential events in modern Libyan history:
The Abu Salim Prison massacre in which more than 1,200 political prisoners were killed in the space of just a few hours.
The film shifts between the past and presents through the two protagonists who exchange the role of victim.
Most of the events and dialogue in the film were taken directly from testimonies of former prisoners and wardens.
Official selection: Rhode Island International Film festival 2019
Official selection: Carthage International film festival 2019
Best Short film Winner: Alexandria International film festival 2020
African Perspectives: Clermont-Ferrand International short film festival 2020
DONGA - Feature Documentary – 2023
As a youth, Donga filmed the Libyan uprising against Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, as well as later scenes of war in Libya.
Through excerpts from his videos, he looks back on how the events have changed him.
Official selection: IDFA International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam 2023
Official selection: The Red Sea International Film Film Festival 2023
The Gaurdian - Feature Fiction – (In Development)
An adaptation of the novel The Bleeding of The Stone by the renowned Libyan writer Ibrahim Al-Koni.