A BAHRAINI short film exploring redemption and sin is set to be entered into the largest and longest-running US horror film festival.
The 15-minute psychological thriller, Convoluted, wrapped up its shooting schedule and is currently in the editing and post-production phase, with an anticipated release in October this year.
“Amongst the themes we explore in this film are sin and redemption,” the film’s director and writer Mohammed Fareed told the GDN, without giving away too much of the plot.
“We will explore different parts of our main character’s personality as well as whether we can learn from our mistakes and how characters are redeemable.”
The film’s lead actor is Ebrahim Albarawi – the star of the award-winning short film Salam which is centred on a deaf young man and his experiences as he regains his sense of hearing after a surgery.
Mr Fareed first met Mr Albarawi during the audition for Salam, and was thrilled to find someone who ‘truly appreciated what it meant to be human.’
The Arabic language Convoluted was shot in four locations across Bahrain, with most of the filming done at a warehouse in Hidd, where a set was constructed, comprising a number of blue screens.
“We will be sending the film to a US company to add in CGI and do post-production, which will add depth to the film and create a world within it,” Mr Fareed added.
This is Mr Fareed’s directorial debut, although he has previously worked on Window and Salam. Mohamed Sultan was the assistant director.
The art director who helped create most of the sets was Swechha Sharma, with Zohaib Latif directing photography and Jaffar Alhalwachi as the assistant photography director.
Blu Steel Films is producing the film while executive producers are Mr Fareed, Hamed Al Qaseer and Ayoob Alhashimi.
The crew of approximately 35 did the shooting over six days, capturing 85 shots which will now be moulded into a short film, just in time to be submitted to Scream Fest, a horror film festival that has been running since 2001.
Shooting for the film took place at Zayed Town, Askar, Hidd and Hoorat A’Ali. In one of the shots, the team even ended up flipping a car, after getting permission from the relevant authorities.
“Whenever we see a genre film, beyond comedy and drama, coming out of Bahrain, we are even more excited to make it happen, especially when it is a horror film,” producer Mohammed Fakhro added.
“These are challenging, interesting and exciting stories to tell. And having grown up as a fan of thrillers and horror films like The Exorcist, we love helping bringing these stories to life.
“They have also begun to attract audiences because within the safety of the screen, we can experience the thrills without the consequences.”
Mr Fareed, a self-taught film maker who had originally studied accounting in university, echoed the sentiment.
“Fear is a very interesting and primal feeling, which can make you feel truly alive,” he added.
“Horror also allows us to explore many themes and ideas, with fewer boundaries than those that other genres might impose.”
naman@gulfweekly.com
&uuid=(email))