Uncertain Futures I
Ajyal Competition - Ajyal Film Festival 2021
/ Nepal, Germany, Syria, Singapore, Australia, Lebanon, Iran, Afghanistan, United States of America, Qatar / 2021 / 106 min / Colour / DCP / In Multiple / Arabic, English subtitles
Themes:
Rated: 
Mature subject matter. May not be suitable for minors. Individuals under the age of 15 are not admitted into cinemas
Description
It’s certainly been an unpredictable couple of years for the world. But as the old adage goes, when nothing is sure—everything is possible. This thought-provoking programme of shorts illustrates that at the beginning of some of life’s most meaningful journeys, lies uncertainty...
Junko
A newlywed girl patiently waits for a call from her husband, who has left to find work in India. As days pass, longingness turns to loneliness, then resignation to resolve.
Director: Minsho Limbu
Nepal / Nepali / 2021 / 15 mins
Have a Nice Dog!
Trapped in war-surrounded Damascus, a lonely man becomes increasingly lost in his fantasies of escape. With only his dog for company, he ventures deeper into the darker recesses of his mind.
Director: Jalal Maghout
Germany, Syria / Arabic / 2020 / 13 mins
Time Flows in Strange Ways on Sundays
A mother, trapped in the comfort of memory and mourning, confronts her grief when she is invited to the wedding of her late son’s childhood sweetheart.
Director: Giselle Lin
Singapore / English, Mandarin / 2021 / 17 mins
Shark
Jack, a serial prankster, finds his perfect match in the equally daring Rose. But there may be some troubled waters ahead for the couple.
Director: Nash Edgerton
Australia / English / 2021 / 14 mins
Light Fingers
In an attempt to run away from the problems of their old neighbourhood, Omar and Sahar move house but ultimately find themselves stuck in the same unusual cycle.
Director: Carina Ashkar
Lebanon / Arabic / 2021 / 14 mins
Before Darkness
An Afghan woman hides her child because she does not have enough money to take them both across Iran’s border. But her plan is exposed with heartbreaking consequences.
Director: Mosayeb Hanaie
Iran, Afghanistan / Afghan, Persian, Turkish / 2021 / 18 mins
No Leaders Please
An eloquently animated film based on a poem about self-discovery and reinvention by Charles Bukowski. The composition is inspired by artists Basquiat, Banksy, Haring, and A Weiwei.
Director: Joan Gratz
USA / English / 2020 / 2 mins
And Then They Burn the Sea
Filmmaker Majid Al-Remaihi ruminates on the experience of witnessing his mother’s gradual and terminal memory loss over the course of many years.
Director: Majid Al-Remaihi
Qatar / Arabic / 2021 / 13 mins