Khaled is a 2001 Canadian drama film, directed and written by Asghar MassombagiRay Conlogue, "An unsentimental jungle through a child's eyes". The Globe and Mail, April 19, 2002. following the titular character Khaled, a ten-year-old boy who tries to conceal the death of his mother. The film is noted for garnering honorable mentions and film festival awards.
Plot Khaled (Michael D'Ascenzo) lives in a Toronto housing project with his mother, who is French Canadian and chronically ill. His father is Moroccan and abandoned the family when Khaled was young. One day his mother dies, but Khaled attempts to carry on life as normal. His life deteriorates as his landlord harasses him for overdue rent, and neighbors begin to notice the smell of decay from his apartment.David Spaner, "Another corpse, another tale". The Province, April 19, 2002.
Release The film premiered at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival.Peter Howell, "Out on a limb; Canadian directors follow risky path looking for our personal identities in the stories they tell". Toronto Star, September 7, 2001.
Awards At TIFF the film received an honorable mention for the FIPRESCI International Critics Award,"Inuit film wins festival prize; Fast Runner named best Canadian entry at subdued closing ceremonies". Waterloo Region Record, September 17, 2001. and it was later named to TIFF's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for 2001."Lists, lists and lists: Tops in video". Peterborough Examiner, December 20, 2001.
At the 23rd Genie Awards in 2003, Mel M'Rabet received a nomination for Best Original Song, for "Ab (Father)".
Massombagi won the Best Director Award for the film at the 37th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival,Daniela Lazarová, "Karlovy Vary Film Festival ends". Radio Prague, July 14, 2002. and the First Time Filmmaker Award at the ReelWorld Film Festival.Alexandra Gill, "Reflections in an exile's eye". The Globe and Mail, April 20, 2002.
Legacy In 2023, Telefilm Canada announced that the film was one of 23 titles that will be digitally restored under its new Canadian Cinema Reignited program to preserve classic Canadian films.Pat Mullen, "Oscar Winning Doc Leads List of Restored Canadian Classics". Point of View, May 9, 2023.
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