A Bahraini short film centred on faith, family and deception is set to be screened at the 12th edition of the Saudi Film Festival, as a potential nominee for Best Short Film.
Written and directed by Salman Yousif and produced by Ali Esbai, Seed was shot in Bahrain and centres on a story often left behind closed doors.
“The idea for the film first came to me while I was on a flight back from a film festival,” Mr Yousif told the GDN.
“I shared it with my mentor, Farid Ramadan, and although we ended up working on another project together, unfortunately this particular idea never had the chance to come to life while Farid was still with us.
“More than a year ago, I returned to the concept and began developing it further.
“After a long journey of writing and refining, I was finally able to bring it to the screen this year alongside my friend and producer, Ali Esbai.”
Mr Esbai
The film’s plot centres on the sensitive topic of infertility.
After discovering he is infertile, Jassim (Omar Al Saeedi) pressures his younger brother Saeed (Ammar Khamis) – a devout father of four – to secretly replace him during the artificial insemination of his wife, Nora, as relentless pressure mounts from her powerful father.
“I grew up in a close-knit community in the south of Bahrain where we heard stories of the people around us and the quiet whisperings of scandals would be secretly passed around,” Mr Yousif explained in his statement.
“I was drawn to the double lives of the many people I thought I knew in an otherwise boring neighbourhood.
“I’m also drawn to procedure and law, which sometimes sit at contrasting ends with the conscience and create a dilemma in ‘doing the right thing’.
“The outward image of each house was of law-abiding, friendly citizens – but the interiors harboured many interesting and colourful stories that can only be discovered through hearsay.
“My hope through making this film is to show a watchable, realistic view of flawed Bahraini characters.”
The roughly 15-minute short film was completed in early February this year.
The film’s poster
The film is also the seventh collaboration between Mr Yousif and Mr Esbai, each coming from unique cinematic backgrounds.
“His training and influences lean more towards European cinema, while mine is rooted in the Hollywood storytelling tradition,” Mr Esbai added.
“Over the years, our collaboration has evolved into something uniquely our own, where those influences meet to create work that feels authentically Bahraini.
“What attracted me to Seed from the beginning was its willingness to tackle a mature and sensitive subject through a distinctly Bahraini lens. It’s the kind of story that invites conversation long after the film ends.
“As producer, my role extended from script development through pre-production, principal photography and post-production.
“My goal was to help Salman realise the strongest possible version of his vision while maintaining the authenticity of the story and its characters.
“For me, Seed is an example of the kind of ambitious local storytelling that is helping shape the future of Bahraini cinema, and I’m excited to see it screened at the Saudi Film Festival.”
It will be screened on Sunday at 7pm and Tuesday at 9.30pm at the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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