2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

The story is about a young father who is struggling with the heartbreaking memories of his older brother, with whom he has had a falling out years ago. It is Ramadan now and feelings and emotions are heightened. He goes to pick up his son from school and sees his son playing with his brother’s son, the little boy’s cousin. This reminds him of when he and his brother were young. And the emotions start to bubble up. He bumps into his brother outside the school but is callously snubbed by him. Visibly disturbed by this, and thinking there’s no way back for them, he reminisces through an old family scrap book. The denouement portrays a powerful moment of reconciliation where forgiveness wins over stubbornness and pride, as the older brother breaks family tradition to make amends with his younger brother.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

We live in a time where individuality is on the rise. The Middle-East is no exception. Affluence and modernity have brought great progress to the region, but it has also taken its toll on relations and family dynamics. The people of the GGC are proud and deeply passionate but also very private. It's not easy to be vocal or expressive about one's sentiments within the community. Family feuds/disagreements tend to linger on passively. If there was ever a time to broach this subject, it was the Holy Month of Ramadan. BMW, a historically beloved brand amongst the locals, boldly but delicately started a conversation in the right direction.

Tell the jury anything relevant about the cinematography.

We chose the one-take technique for the film to create a narrative flow that's seamless and the camera never leaves the protagonist. This was crucial to capture the gradual swell of sorrow and regret in his mind. The cinematography, with it's effortless fly-on-the-wall approach takes us right to the heart of the emotions without ever making the presence of a camera felt. We alternated from wide to more close-up angles, to define the moments of void and loss in the protagonist The wide anamorphic lens gave us a scale that enabled the cast to emote more with subtle performances.