Batata is a Canadian-Lebanese documentary film, directed by Noura Kevorkian and released in 2022.Jim Slotek, "Hot Docs '22: Batata Director on Life at a Lebanese Potato Farm/Refugee Camp through Syria and ISIS". Original Cin, April 25, 2022. The film is a portrait of Maria, a Syrian woman working in Lebanon whose life is upended by the Syrian civil war and its associated refugee crisis.Marc Glassman, "Batata Review: An Extraordinary Work Ten Years in the Making". Point of View, May 4, 2022.
The film had originally been conceived in 2009, prior to the outbreak of the war, as a portrait of Maria's father Abu Jamil and farmer Movses (Mousa) Doudaklian, two men who built a close friendship through years of working together on Doudaklian's potato farm in Lebanon despite the history of enmity between Lebanese Christians and Syrian Muslims. As the outbreak of the war turned the farm into a desolate refugee camp, its focus shifted more squarely onto Maria, depicting her determination to keep her family safe and united in the face of the larger forces that threatened to destroy them.
Distribution The film premiered in January 2022 at the FIPADOC film festival in Biarritz, France,Andrew Tracy, "International doc fest FIPADOC releases 2022 programming slate". RealScreen, January 7, 2022. and had its Canadian premiere in April at the 2022 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.
Awards Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Canadian Screen Awards April 2023Best Feature Length DocumentaryPaul Scherzer, Noura Kevorkian Pat Mullen, "2023 Canadian Screen Award Nominations for Documentary". Point of View, February 22, 2023. Best Cinematography in a Documentary Noura Kevorkian Best Editing in a Documentary Noura Kevorkian, Mike Munn Directors Guild of Canada2023Allan King Award for Best Documentary FilmNoura KevorkianTaimur Sikander Mirza, "Women Talking leads film nominees for 2023 DGC Awards". Playback, September 20, 2023.Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival2022Best Canadian Feature Documentary, Special Jury PrizeSadaf Ahsan, "Jacquelyn Mills’ ‘Geographies of Solitude’ wins Hot Docs’ best Canadian film award". Toronto Star, May 7, 2022.Peabody Awards202383rd Annual AwardMichael Schneider, "‘Atlanta,’ ‘Better Call Saul’ Land Farewell Awards as This Year’s 83rd Peabody Winners Are Announced". Variety, May 9, 2023.
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