Night Courier Explained

Night Courier
Director:Ali Kalthami
Producer:Abdulrahman Jerash
Chawki Knis[1]
Starring:Mohamad Aldokhei
Cinematography:Ahmed Tahoun
Editing:Fakhreddine Amri
Studio:Telfaz11
Muvi Studios
Distributor:Front Row (Saudi Arabia)
MPM Premium (International)
Runtime:110 minutes
Country:Saudi Arabia
Language:Arabic

Night Courier, also known as Mandoob, (Arabic: مندوب الليل) is a 2023 Saudi Arabian black comedy crime thriller film[2] co-written and directed by Ali Kalthami in his directorial debut.[3] Starring Mohamad Aldokhei as a poor, mentally fragile man who sells alcohol at night to pay for his sick father's treatment.[4] It had its world premiere at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival on 8 September 2023 as part of the Discovery section.[5]

Synopsis

Fahad is a 30-year-old man from a lower social class who lives his life under constant pressure due to his job as a customer service in a telecommunications company and because he must obtain money to pay for the treatment of his sick father and help his divorced sister. His situation worsens when he is fired, so he decides to work as a delivery man to save money by entering the nightlife and the business of selling and stealing alcoholic beverages.[6]

Cast

Production

Principal photography took place at the end of 2022, lasting 55 days in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.[7] [8]

Release

It had its world premiere on September 8, 2023, at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival,[9] then screened on September 29, 2023, at the 19th Zurich Film Festival,[10] on November 29, 2023, at the 41st Torino Film Festival,[11] on January 8, 2024, at the 35th Palm Springs International Film Festival,[12] and on April 24, 2024, at the Malmö Arab Film Festival.[13] It was commercially released on December 14, 2023, in Saudi Arabian theaters,[14] then it was released on January 11, 2024, in the rest of the theaters in the Arab region.[15] [16] International distribution rights were sold to MPM Premium.[17]

Reception

Box-office

In its first weekend in theaters, the film sold 114,000 tickets grossing $1.58 million,[18] surpassing Wonka and The Boy and the Heron, becoming the highest opening for a Saudi production.[19] By the end of February 2024, it attracted 605,000 viewers grossing $7.5 million.[20]

Accolades

YearAward / FestivalCategoryRecipientResultRef.
202319th Zurich Film FestivalGolden EyeNight Courier[21]
41st Torino Film FestivalValdata Award - Best Feature Film[22]
202424th Arab Film Festival RotterdamBest ActorMohamad Aldokhei[23]
Ho Chi Minh City International Film FestivalBest New DirectorAli Kalthami[24]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: أحمد . وائل بن . 2023-08-06 . العرض العالمي الأول لفيلم "مندوب الليل" في مهرجان تورنتو . 2024-09-19 . أوراس . ar.
  2. Web site: 2024-01-06 . Saudi film 'Mandoob' to have its US premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival . 2024-09-19 . Arab News . en . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919042629/https://www.arabnews.com/node/2437066/lifestyle . live .
  3. Web site: طلعت . علياء . "مندوب الليل".. قصص من الواقع السعودي تجول المهرجانات العالمية . 2024-09-19 . الجزيرة نت . ar . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919044131/https://www.aljazeera.net/arts/2023/10/23/%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85 . live .
  4. Web site: بطل «مندوب الليل» لـ«الشرق الأوسط»: الرياض هي القصة ولست أنا . 2024-09-19 . aawsat.com . ar . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919044131/https://aawsat.com/%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82/4709701-%D8%A8%D8%B7%D9%84-%C2%AB%D9%85%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%84%C2%BB-%D9%84%D9%80%C2%AB%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7%C2%BB-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6-%D9%87%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%A7 . live .
  5. Web site: 2023-09-09 . Saudi film 'Mandoob' premieres at Toronto International Film Festival . 2024-09-19 . Arab News . en . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919042629/https://www.arabnews.com/node/2370226/lifestyle . live .
  6. Web site: المولى . سارة . 2023-12-15 . موعد نزول فيلم مندوب الليل.. القصة والأبطال . 2024-09-19 . قناة ومنصة المشهد.
  7. Web site: 2023-09-13 . علي الكلثمي لإيلاف: تصوير مشاهد "مندوب الليل" كلها صعبة والعرض في "تورنتو" بداية مرحلة جديدة . 2024-09-19 . إيلاف . ar.
  8. Web site: صحيفة الشرق الأوسط الفيلم السعودي «مندوب الليل» استغرق تصويره 55 يوماً في شوارع الرياض _الأوسط (صحيفة_العرب_الأولى) . 2024-09-19 . موقع نبض.
  9. Web site: Mandoob . 2024-09-19 . Toronto International Film Festival . en . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919042629/https://tiff.net/events/mandoob . live .
  10. Web site: Mandoob . 2024-09-19 . Zurich Film Festival.
  11. Web site: 2023-11-09 . Torino Film Festival, il programma della 41esima edizione . 2024-09-19 . Sky TG24 . it.
  12. Web site: Akkad . Farah El . 2024-01-06 . Saudi Film "Mandoob" Makes Debut at Palm Springs Film Festival . 2024-09-19 . Leaders . en-US . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919042633/https://www.leaders-mena.com/saudi-film-mandoob-makes-debut-at-palm-springs-film-festival/ . live .
  13. Web site: 2024-04-24 . «فيلم مندوب الليل» يعرض اليوم بمهرجان مالمو للسينما . 2024-09-19 . الجمهور الإخباري . ar . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919042629/https://www.algomhor.com/article/83635/%C2%AB%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%84%C2%BB-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%B6-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%A8%D9%85%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88 . live .
  14. Web site: Vivarelli . Nick . 2023-12-13 . Saudi Thriller 'Mandoob,' About a Bootleg Alcohol Dealer, Becomes First Arab Film Mastered by Dolby (EXCLUSIVE) . 2024-09-19 . Variety . en-US . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919042628/https://variety.com/2023/film/global/saudi-comedy-mandoob-first-arab-film-dolby-mastered-1235836062/ . live .
  15. تواريخ العرض: فيلم - مندوب الليل - 2023 . ar . 2024-09-19 . Elcinema.com . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919042634/https://elcinema.com/work/2083201/released . live .
  16. Web site: أفلام عالمية متنوعة تعرضها صالات السينما القطرية هذا الأسبوع . 2024-09-19 . www.qna.org.qa . ar-QA . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919044133/https://www.qna.org.qa/ar-QA/News-Area/News/2024-01/11/0037-%D8%A3%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%C2%A0%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9%C2%A0%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%B6%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%87%D8%B0%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%B3%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B9 . live .
  17. Web site: Barraclough . Leo . 2023-09-08 . Dark Comedic Crime Thriller 'Mandoob' Picked Up by MPM Premium Ahead of Toronto Premiere, Teaser Debuts (EXCLUSIVE) . 2024-09-19 . Variety . en-US . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919042630/https://variety.com/2023/film/global/mandoob-mpm-premium-toronto-1235716126/ . live .
  18. Web site: Vivarelli . Nick . 2023-12-18 . Saudi Thriller 'Mandoob' Beats 'Wonka' to Score Record Local Opening . 2024-09-19 . Variety . en-US . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919042631/https://variety.com/2023/film/global/mandoob-box-office-beat-wonka-record-opening-1235843607/ . live .
  19. Web site: Rosser . Michael . Saudi thriller 'Mandoob' beats 'Wonka' and breaks local box office record . 2024-09-19 . Screen . en.
  20. Web site: Goodfellow . Melanie . 2024-02-28 . Saudi Thriller 'Night Courier' Tops 600K Admissions At Home In Fresh Hit For Telfaz11 . 2024-09-19 . Deadline . en-US . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919042629/https://deadline.com/2024/02/saudi-feature-night-courier-tops-600k-admissions-box-office-hit-for-telfaz11-1235840410/ . live .
  21. Web site: News from the ZFF and film industry . 2024-09-19 . Zurich Film Festival . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919042635/https://zff.com/en/stories/news/golden-eyes-for-hollywoodgate-hesitation-wound-and-in-the-rearview . live .
  22. Web site: Skrok . Magdalena . 2023-12-03 . Torino Film Festival 2023: here are all the winners . 2024-09-19 . World of Technology, Video Games & Digital Entertainment . en-US . 2024-02-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240226232804/https://techgameworld.com/torino-film-festival-2023-here-are-all-the-winners/ . live .
  23. Web site: "لا جوائز للأفلام السورية".. اختتام مهرجان الفيلم العربي في روتردام . Syria TV . 2024-09-19 . 2024-06-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240605161338/https://www.syria.tv/%D9%84%D8%A7-%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B2-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9%C2%A0%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85/ . live .
  24. Web site: علي الكلثمي يفوز بجائزة «أفضل مخرج قادم» في مهرجان هوشي منه السينمائي الدولي . Al-Riyadh . 2024-09-19 . 2024-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919042629/https://www.alriyadh.com/2071102 . live .

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