MY FATHER AND QADDAFI

Libya, USA, Sweden I 2025 I English, Arabic, French dialogue with English subtitles l 88 min

ABOUT FILM

Libyan director and writer Jihan K presents in her feature-length documentary My Father and Qaddafi a work of extraordinary courage and intimacy. The film emerges from a deeply personal wound to revisit one of the most sensitive political chapters in contemporary Libyan history. The film had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival (2025), marking the first Libyan film screened in Venice in 13 years, signaling a remarkable return of Libyan cinema to one of the world’s most important cinematic platforms.

The documentary follows Jihan K’s journey to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of her father, Libyan dissident Mansour Kikhia, one of the most prominent political voices opposing Qaddafi’s regime, who vanished under mysterious circumstances. The film goes beyond recounting events, delving into the impact of his absence on the family, collective memory, and the daughter’s relationship with a history she did not choose but that has shaped her entire life.

What sets My Father and Qaddafi apart is its bravery in confronting the past—not as a closed political case, but as an ongoing human story filled with questions. Jihan K relies on rare archival materials, personal testimonies, and painful confrontations to build a narrative balanced between investigative journalism and self-reflection. This documentary is not a conventional investigation; it is an act of resistance against erasure and oblivion, an attempt to restore a missing voice.

The film has received widespread international acclaim, culminating in winning the Best Feature-Length Documentary award at the 2025 Doha Film Festival in the International Competition, recognizing its artistic value and human depth. It has also participated in major international festivals, including the Marrakech International Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival, as part of a global tour affirming its presence and impact.

Notably, My Father and Qaddafi received a development grant from the Malmö Arab Film Days Documentary Fund in 2019, supported by the Swedish Film Institute, providing early support that allowed the project to take shape and today culminates in its screening at the Malmö Arab Film Festival.

In this context, My Father and Qaddafi offers a profoundly moving documentary experience, opening a rare window onto an untold chapter of Libyan history. It invites audiences to witness a film that confronts memory with courage and demonstrates the power of Arab documentary cinema to transform personal pain into a universal human narrative.