The Tower

Eleven-year-old Wardi is a Palestinian fourth-generation refugee, who lives in a camp in Beirut, Lebanon. With each generation, her family`s house has grown into a looming tower, and Wardi's great-grandfather Sidi has lived there ever since he had to flee his home back in 1948. Although he is old and dying, he clings on to a dream of returning, and still carries the key to his old house around his neck like an amulet. As Wardi begins to search the family history for the truth about Sidi's lost hope, she learns for the first time about al-Nakba, the disaster of '48 when Palestinians were forced into exile.

The Tower is based on real stories gathered from interviews, conversations, and observations made by director Mats Grorud during his own stay in a Beirut refugee camp. The film combines puppets and 2D animation to give life to this moving and captivating tale about coming-of-age in exile.

Mats Grorud is a Norwegian director and animator. He studied at the Community College in Volda, in addition to studies in Denmark, Beirut and Beijing. Grorud previously directed the animated short films JuleNilssen and Min bestemor Beijing, and runs his own animation firm, Nubbsjangs Productions.The Tower premiered at the prestigious Annecy animation film festival in 2018.