2022 Winners & Shortlists

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

The film launching MAX’s ‘Abu Benti’ initiative showcases four Arab men being interviewed. The interviewer starts off with two questions: asking the four men for their name and if they have any children; all of them do. A super is then shown stating that fathers are nicknamed only after their eldest son’s name, proceeded by the men proudly saying their nicknames. The interviewer then asks if their nickname is based on their son’s name. Surprisingly, some of the men don’t have sons, with their nickname being based on their own father’s name. The interviewer then asks what their eldest daughter’s name is. Upon answering the question, the interviewer suggests using a nickname including their daughters’ names and says it out loud to them. They are surprised at first but take joy in hearing the nickname. The film then ends with a few supers encouraging people to join the initiative.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

Giving fathers a ‘kunya’, a nickname given to fathers based on their eldest child’s name, is common in the Arab world. For example, if a man has an only son named Mohammed, then his kunya would be ‘Abu Mohammed’, meaning ‘the father of Mohammed’. The nickname naturally gives them a sense of pride However, the practice only applies to sons; even if a father’s first-born is a daughter, she will not be given the place of honor in her father’s name. The same also applies if a father has no sons, then he will be given the name of his own father! Long story short, daughters are not included in the kunya. We decided to go after this age-old discriminatory practice against women

Please tell us about the social behaviour and / or cultural insights that inspired your work

The Middle East is a hub where gender inequality is still prevalent in today’s progressive world. Arab cultural traditions almost always place more importance on men, where stereotypical gender roles applied; they are seen as the breadwinner of families, the main source of pride and income, the “prince” who would carry the lineage for generations to come. Women, however, are unfortunately overlooked, almost as if she brings nothing to the table. The kunya was a prime representation of this inequality; even in the situation where fathers only have daughters, they are all shunned. Shadowed by a nickname with a man’s name representing the son that never was. However, this was only an issue of culture and outdated traditions. Arab fathers usually love all their children equally, especially daughters, and they could empower them and show their love by wearing their name, both literally and emotionally.