FILMS
Core Programme (6)
Extended Programme (3)
What Brings You Here
By Saber Wasel
Key Info
Synopsis
Length: 8 mins
Language: Arabic
Year: 2022
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‘What Brings You Here’ explores themes of identity and belonging in the context of Jamme’a, a fisherman who unexpectedly emigrated from Somalia to Aden, (Yemen) at an early age.
Filmmaker
Saber Wasel is a filmmaker and street photographer from Aden. His debut film, 'Made of Gold' was screened internationally, including at the Karama Yemen Film Festival, where it was nominated for Best Yemeni Film. ‘What Brings You Here’ is his second film. Saber is currently pursuing Media and Communication studies in Malaysia, with the aim of further developing his creative skills and impact.
The Path to the Tombs
By Alya Hakim
Key Info
Synopsis
Length: 2 mins
Language: Arabic
Year: 2023
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The Path to the Tombs visually represents an original poem by Maysoon Al-Eryani. It tells the tragic tale of Lera, a Yemeni woman who loses her husband and searches for him until she is blind.
Filmmaker
Alya Hakim Ahmed, 22, is from Ibb, Yemen. She is a professional illustrator with a BA in Graphic Design from Umm Al-Qura University.
Can Be
By Mohammedally Shushtari
Key Info
Synopsis
Length: 13 mins
Language: English
Year: 2022
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Two siblings process their grief after the loss of their father and question if their already strained relationship can be saved.
Writer and director Mohammedally Shushtari explores the role that therapy can play in diasporic Arab culture.
Filmmaker
Mohammedally Shushtari is a Yemeni-Iranian actor and writer based in London.
In The Long Run
By Youssef Assabahi
Key Info
Synopsis
Length: 21 mins
Language: Arabic
Year: 2022
Set in the historical Old City, in Ibb, Yemen, In the Long Run is built around a simple premise: Out of bread and burdened by the nearing arrival of guests, a housewife sends her kid to buy bread before lunch. But this simple errand soon transforms into a wondrous adventure.
Performed by city locals, In the Long Run presents gentle conversations about fear, fate, and faith. Yet, most importantly, it is a story of a child’s imagination, curiosity and wonder.
Filmmaker
Yousef Assabahi is a Yemeni writer and director currently based in Los Angeles. After completing his studies at UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television in 2018, Yousef has written and directed several short films and commercials that explore cultural identity and collective memory of Yemenis at home and abroad. His films have screened in international festivals, universities and cultural institutions.
Ozazah
By Ala'a Hafed
Key Info
Synopsis
Filmmaker
Length: 7 mins
Language: Arabic
Year: 2020
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The film revolves around the life of an elderly woman called Aziza, known as Ozazah locally, who lives on Jabal Sabr (Mount Sabr), a key landmark in the city of Taiz, Yemen. Ozazah shares insights into the life of Sabrian women in the past and the evolving attitudes towards educating children in her community.
Ala’a Hafed has been a cultural practitioner, producer, and documentary filmmaker since 2017, working for a number of organisations in both Sana'a and Taiz. Through her work, Ala’a attempts to document daily life and delve into societal issues as well as the effects of the war on Yemeni citizens, using a blend of artistic and documentary styles.
Shaqous
By Amatullateef Khaled et al
Key Info
Synopsis
By Amatullateef Khaled, Hadeel Al Sulaili and Alaa Wael
Length: 6 mins
Language: Arabic
Year: 2021
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A short documentary film on coexistence and love inside a home in Sana’a. 
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Filmmaker
Amatullateef (Latoof) Khaled is a Yemeni filmmaker and fashion designer residing in Sana’a. She is a graduate of Fashion Design Technology from Sana’a Community College. 'Shaqous' is her first film and marks her interest in documentary directing.
Bara'a
By Aseel Khalifa
Key Info
Synopsis
Length: 5 mins
Language: Arabic
Year:
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Bara’a is an animated film that follows the psychological impact of the war on a group of friends.
Filmmaker
​Aseel Khalifa studied Economics and Accounting but has a passion for drawing and animation. 'Bara'a is her third animated film. Through her work, she aspires to support the advancement of animation films in Yemen.
What If
By Omima Tareq
Key Info
Synopsis
Length: 8 mins
Language: Arabic
Year:
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‘What If’ is a short documentary film that reflects the personal experience of Omima Tareq, director, as a young Yemeni female growing up in Aden. It depicts the conflict between the aspirations of young women and fear of judgment by society. 
Filmmaker
Omima Tareq is a third-year student studying Media and Communication Studies at the Asia Pacific University in Malaysia. Originally from Aden, Yemen, she has been pursuing her passion for filmmaking and photography over the last two years. Through visual storytelling, she strives to capture compelling stories that evoke emotions and offer a fresh perspective on life. ‘What If’ is her first documentary film.
Selahy
By Alaa Zabara
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Key Info
Synopsis
Length: 14 mins
Language: Arabic
Year:
A short narrative film that follows a young deaf girl, Saleemah who has one major love in this world; her camera. Aqeel, her brother introduced her to cameras due to his job as a news reporter, but one day is unable to take her out to film because he is preoccupied covering the war. Frustrated, Saleemah wanders out of the house during an impending air strike. To make matters worse, she loses her hearing aids.
Filmmaker
Alaa Zabara is an independent Hard-of-Hearing Yemeni-American Director and Cinematographer. Drawn to the power of photographs from an early age, she started to document daily life around her through the use of a camera. These documentations became her conversation with, and introduction to, the world.