An Unveiled Mystery from Qaddafi’s Libya
EXCLUSIVE: The enigmatic disappearance of Mansur Rashid Kikhia, a Libyan opposition figure in 1993, remained one of the unresolved dark tales from Muammar Qaddafi’s brutal four-decade reign over Libya, until new light was shed following the fall of the regime in 2011.
Mansur Rashid Kikhia’s story is being revisited by his daughter, U.S. filmmaker Jihan K, in the documentary My Father and Qaddafi. The film, which also delves into the struggles of his wife, Syrian artist Baha Al Omary, to seek the truth, is set to premiere Out of Competition at the Venice Film Festival this Friday.
Deadline has obtained an exclusive clip from the movie, which integrates home videos, historical recordings, and recent interviews to reconstruct the events surrounding her father’s fate and the broader context of Libya.
The documentary additionally captures Jihan’s personal journey. Having been only six years old at the time of her father’s vanishing and growing up between the U.S. and France, she explores her connection to her Libyan roots.
The project is a collaborative U.S. and Libyan effort with Jihan serving as the producer. The executive production team includes Dave Guenette, Mohamed Soueid, and Sol Guy, with co-production by Andreas Rocksén and William Johansson Kalén of Laika Film, and Jayson Jackson and Mohamed Siam as consulting producers.
“Were my father still alive, he would have been 94 today. By telling his story, I am also telling a lesser-known narrative of Libya, which encompasses nearly a century of the nation’s history and political landscape,” Jihan stated in her directorial notes.
She added, “I refuse to let my father’s memory fade away once more. There’s an immediate need to fill the emptiness within me amid the ongoing turmoil and instability in Libya, which I fear might one day erase my Libyan heritage.”
Mad Solutions is overseeing the international distribution of the film.
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