Canada/Quebec | V.O. Arabic/French/English | ST French | 2022 | 150 min | DCP | color | Documentary | World Premiere
A Macumba Média Inc. and National Film Board of Canada co-production
Filmed over a period of eight years, Waiting for Raif tells the tragic tale of a family torn apart by the Saudi monarchy’s intransigence, as it follows Ensaf Haidar’s inspiring battle to free her husband, prisoner of conscience Raif Badawi. The documentary offers a privileged and moving look at the personal and political implications of the affair, providing an inside view of the challenges faced by a young refugee mother of three, both in her adopted home of Quebec and on the global stage.
| Director | Luc Côté, Patricio Henriquez |
| Music | Robert-Marcel Lepage |
| Cinematographer | François Beauchemin, Joël Bertomeau, Luc Côté, Bruno Fraser, Patricio Henriquez, Étienne Roussy |
| Screenplay | Luc Côté, Patricio Henriquez |
| Production | Macumba Média inc., Office National du Film du Canada |
| Distribution | Office National du Film du Canada |
Since age 14, Luc Côté has been directing and producing social issue documentaries that capture the diversity of human experience. A co-founder of Adobe Productions, he’s won many awards for his work over the years, including the IDFA Special Jury Prize for his first collaboration with Patricio Henríquez, You Don’t Like the Truth: 4 Days Inside Guantanamo.
Born and raised in Chile, Patricio Henríquez moved to Montreal following the overthrow of the Allende government. After creating a number of news reports for Quebec television, in 1996 he co-founded the production house Macumba International, through which he’s directed a dozen political and social documentaries that have won more than 70 awards around the world.
