Black Box Cinema - Screenings in 3 Cities
Last May I wrote about the return of Nawaf Al Janahi’s Black Box Cinema at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair after a 4 year hiatus.
Leading to this year’s edition of Abu Dhabi Book Fair in May, Black Box Cinema is going on a mini tour, screening a selection of Arab short films from its past editions.
The first event happened on March 13 at The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi.
The next screenings will take place on March 27 at Sidra in Riyadh, and on April 7 at Alliance Francaise in Dubai.
I’ve not had a chance to attend any of the Black Box Cinema screenings, but I am looking forward to the event on April 7 as I’ve not seen most of the films. The line up is added below. All the films include English subtitles.
Eye & Mermaid
Shahad Ameen, 2013, 14 min
Ten-year-old Hanan lives in a fishing village on the coast of the Arabian Peninsula. She has always wanted to join her father on his nighttime fishing trips, but he doesn’t let her.
In the morning, he always returns with wonderful black pearls, but where do they come from? Does he harbour a secret?
The Intruder
Majid Al Ansari, 2011, 17 min
A chance encounter in a desert at night, threatens a couple and their unborn child.
But where the intruder comes from and what it wants are the most terrifying questions.
Mid-Way
Rola Shamas, 2022, 10 min
A contemplative film that explores our connection with nature and ourselves amidst the chaos of life.
It features a rush of trains, but amidst the commotion, the viewer is encouraged to listen to the birds, rivers, and their inner voice.
Sabeel
Khalid Al Mahmood, 2010, 20 min
In a small farm deep in the mountains, two young boys live with their grandmother. They spend their mornings tending to their vegetables, and then head for a road where they sit and wait to sell them to passing travelers.
Only to return home to tend to their sick grandmother with medicine they buy from the little money they make. The film explores their lives and environment, and how the road that provides them a living will determine their fate.
Sarah
Alaa Abo Farraj, 2021, 17 min
A 20-year-old young woman hides a secret in her apartment that pushes her to face her fears and exposes the fragility of the young woman in a harsh city.