Filmmaking enthusiasts are coming together this week to celebrate local short films and discuss the art form during a special screening being organised at the Bahrain Cinema Club in Juffair.
The Film Society is expecting around 50 Bahrain-based filmmakers and cinephiles at their second film screening tomorrow, which will showcase five locally made short films.
“We started the Film Society when we noticed a gap in the film-making community in Bahrain, where everyone was scattered and there wasn’t a single channel where everyone could come together, network and talk about the craft o film,” one of the founder, Mujtaba Hasan, told the GDN.
The five short films being screened are Girgaoon Night, Bread and a Half, The Elephant in the Room, Ibuprofen and Estikana.
Girgaoon Night, directed by Zainab Alghaise, follows Hassan and his friends as they mark the regional traditional Ramadan celebration, helping those in need and handing out sweets, until Hassan’s curiosity about a local ghost story leads them into a forbidden house where they find themselves trapped.
Bread and a Half, directed by Yousif Amman, is a story about inner battles, the weight of memory and the fragile hope found in friendship.
“I wanted to capture the rawness of addiction and trauma in a way that feels human, intimate and unfiltered, because some stories are too heavy to stay silent,” the director explained.
The Elephant in the Room, directed by Rayyan Maki, follows a young man who is physically surrounded by people but isolated because of his depression, spiritual isolation and fear.
He attempts to find genuine connection but is bombarded with flat sentiments and empty talk, so he escapes into his inner self-produced world.
Ibuprofen, directed by Abdulla Naji, tells the story of a student trying to navigate an institution to find his grade point average (GPA), until he ends up in an office where they refuse to answer any of his queries.
Estikana (the Arabic term for a tea cup), directed by Nasser Alarjani, tells the story of a quiet filmmaker who reconnects with a troubled friend over tea, connecting over conversation and nostalgia.
The Elephant in the Room and Ibuprofen are in English, while the others are in Arabic, with English subtitles.
“The short films will be screened together, with a short introduction to each one,” Mr Hasan added.
“After the screenings, we will invite directors and representatives from each of the films on stage for a panel discussion, where they will share their experiences and inspiration behind each film, while spotlighting their craft.”
The Film Society was founded earlier this year, and hosted a filmmaker gathering at the Art Station in February, as well as a film screening in April and collaborated with The Misfits Bahrain for a ‘Dead Poets Society’ event where poets and filmmakers created across mediums and art forms.
“Our registration for our second film screening filled up within just 24 hours since we had limited seats,” Mr Hasan added.
“At our first screening, more than 70 people showed up. We are excited to welcome people to this one.
“There is something truly special about a film on the big screen – you experience it, not just watch it. “You can appreciate the finer details and the best part is that you can share the experience with others and talk about it.”
*For more details, follow @filmsociety.bh on Instagram.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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