Five MAD short films garner awards at the Bahrain Film Festival

release date November 10 2024

Running from November 3rd to the 7th, the Bahrain Film Festival screened five ambitious short films — PALESTINE ISLANDS, MADE FOR BEAUTY USED FOR UGLINESS, FORSAKEN, In BETWEEN, and BETWEEN A MOTHER’S FEET — each of which won one or several awards at the event’s closing ceremony.

Jaffer Al Baqali’s MADE FOR BEAUTY USED FOR UGLINESS won Best Director; Best Actor, which went to Mubarak Khamis; as well as Best Cinematographer for Zohaib Latif. Meanwhile, PALESTINE ISLANDS won Best Narrative Short, FORSAKEN the Jury Award, IN BETWEEN a Special Mention, and Nisrine Adam of BENEATH A MOTHER’S FEET won Best Actress.

PALESTINE ISLANDS is a short by Nour Ben Salem and Julien Menanteau, which follows a young Palestinian girl on her quest to make her blind grandfather believe the separation wall fell, giving him hope of returning to his homeland. It was directed by Nour Ben Salem in tandem with Julien Menanteau, and produced by Bastien Daret, Arthur Goisset, Robin Robles, and Rashid Abdelhamid. It stars Sama Idreesi, alongside the renowned Kamel El Basha, as well as Leen Saleh and Toleen Al Risheq.

MADE FOR BEAUTY USED FOR UGLINESS is a gripping Bahraini featurette by Jaffer Al Baqali, starring Aidma Alasmar and Mubarak Khamis, which highlights the horrors of war through the eyes of a soldier who, having been imprisoned for 28 years and in exile, now gets the chance to reunite with his daughter. He is consumed by suicidal ideation as his daughter visits him briefly in his humble cabin.

Aziz Shennawy’s Tunisian Film FORSAKEN follows Meriem who, on vacation, stumbles upon the lifeless body of an immigrant in front of her balcony. The film sheds light on the discrimination faced by Sub-Saharan immigrants in Tunisia, exploring the complex dynamics between North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. It was produced by Tarek Marouani, lensed by Hatem Nechi, and stars Kmar Ben Soltane.

Ethar Baamer’s IN BETWEEN is a Saudi abstract animation that depicts a woman's journey through her twenties, navigating societal expectations in the quest for self-discovery. Overcoming challenges, she forges her path to self-realization as the lines between reality and fantasy are blurred. Despite obstacles, her authenticity guides her toward her true self. The score for this short was composed by Zak McNeil.

BENEATH A MOTHER’S FEET is a multiple award-winning British-Morrocan title by Elias Suhail about a single mother who, trapped in a mundane existence, confronts her dreams and fears; leading to the agonizing decision to forsake all she knows, even her children. It stars Nisrine Adam, Hamid Sabek, and Fatiha Zouine, and was produced by Arij Al Soltan.

The Bahrain Film Festival was held from the 3rd to the 7th of November.