Focused Narratives: Current Middle Eastern Cinema
MNFF and the Niagara Palestine Coalition present two contemporary films celebrating Middle Eastern storytelling with filmmakers Basma Alsharif and Alexander Farah. Screening 95 min.
One Day This Kid
Alexander Farah | Canada | 2024 | 18m
One day this kid will feel something stir in his heart and throat and mouth. One day this kid will reach a point where he senses a division that isn’t mathematical. One day this kid will talk.
A deftly composed array of small yet pivotal moments, a first-generation Afghan Canadian man takes steps toward establishing an identity of his own while always conscious of his father’s shadow.
Alexander Farah is an Afghan-Canadian director and editor between Vancouver and Toronto, known for his steadfast commitment to emotionally resonant stories exploring identity, family and relationships.
This film contains mature content including explicit sexual scenes that may be inappropriate for younger audiences. Discretion is advised.
Ouroboros
Basma Alsharif | France, Palestine, Belgium, Qatar | 2017 | 77m
An homage to the Gaza Strip based on the eternal return. A journey following one man through five different landscapes marks the end as the beginning, forgetting as the way forward, and the failure of civilization.
Basma Alsharif is an artist/filmmaker born in Kuwait of Palestinian origin, raised between France, the U.S., and the Gaza Strip, who is now based in Los Angeles. She has a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Chicago and developed her practice nomadically between cinema and installation, focusing on the human condition in relation to shifting geopolitical landscapes. Ouroboros is her first feature film
This film contains scenes depicting the impact of the occupation in Gaza, which may be distressing to some viewers. Discretion is advised.
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Website: https://nac.org
