What We Don't Know About Mariam

  • What we don't Know about Mariam (Ma la na'refo an Mariam)
Genre : Drama
Type : Fiction
Original title : ما لا نعرفه عن مريم
Principal country concerned : Column : Cinema/tv
Year of production : 2021
Format : Short
Running time : 25 (in minutes)

Mariam goes to a public hospital with her husband and her daughter, bleeding and suffering from a severe pain in her abdomen. After the medical examination things escalate between Mariam and her husband.​

starring
Emad Ghoniem, Doaa Ereiqat, Osama Abdallah

a film by Morad MOSTAFA

Egypt, 2021, Short Fiction, 25 mins


What we don't know about Mariam - Teaser from Morad Mostafa on Vimeo.



Original Title: Ma la na'refo an Mariam - ما لا نعرفه عن مريم
English Title: WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT MARIAM
Year of Production : 2021
Type: Short Drama
Length: 25min
Country: Egypt
Shooting Format: Digital 2K
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Dialogue: Arabic

Director's Statement
When I started writing this film, which is the second short for me, I was sure that I'm still hooked up to the narration method that I started in my first film; which is a dramatic build up that explodes from event that may be just a transient action or through a coincidence. This event creates a state of hidden tension in the building of the story and in the relationships between the characters that grows like a snow ball rolling in snow through the film.
In "What we don't know about Mariam", the transient dramatic event early in the film and is similar to the big stone that is thrown into stagnant water to reveal the nature of the relationship between the husband and wife, the problems between married people has now become the largest proportion within the Egyptian society with a variety and differences between a family and another.
I started to think about that subject when I was in a local hospital waiting; and I witnessed a violent quarrel between a husband and a wife; and of course we didn't know the reason behind such an escalation, but when I thought about it I had the feeling that the reason is not important and quarrels should never escalate to that point. At that time, I decided to write my next movie about the strained marital relationships within the Egyptian society, which have become present in many different places, such as hospitals, police stations, and Public Street.
I like to always have lots of questions surrounding my simple social topics, questions to be asked and assumptions rather than providing solutions or closed brackets, as throughout the whole film questions appear and then disappears leaving place for other questions to surface! And we know a little less about Mariam with every question!

PRODUCER
Sherif Elbendary (Africa Films)

DIRECTOR
Morad Mostafa

SCREENWRITER
Morad Mostafa

SOUND
Mostapha Shaban

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Mostafa El Kashef

EDITOR
Mohamed Mamdouh

ART DIRECTOR
Adham ElHelaly

SOUND DESIGNER & MIXER
Mostafa Shaban

COSTUME DESIGNER
Nour Fawzi

FIRST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Fady Akarm

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Ahmed Zayan

LINE PRODUCER
Sawsan Yusuf

COLORIST
​Rami Eid

PRODUCTION COMPANY
Africa Films (Cairo, Egypt)

COPRODUCTION
Concave Art Production


DISTRIBUTION
Lights On
www.lightsonfilm.com/mariam.html

FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/What-we-dont-know-about-Mariam-ما-لا-نعرفه-عن-مريم-106277291369935/


2021 | Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival (France)
* World Premiere
* Selection: "Regards d'Afrique"


FESTIVALS
Festival du Court Métrage de Clermont-Ferrand 2021, France - World Premiere
Mecal - Barcelona International Short and Animation Film Festival 2021, Spain - Third Award, International Competition
BAFICI - Buenos Aires International Film Festival 2021, Argentina
Kortfilmfestivalen/The Norwegian Short Film Festival 2021, Norway
Prague Short Film Festival 2021, Czech Republic
Les Nuits MED - Festivale di u Filmucortu 2021, France - Prix de la Critique
Palm Springs International ShortFest 2021, USA
Shanghai International Film Festival 2021, China
Mediterranean Film Festival Split 2021, Croatia
Festival Internacional de Cine de València - Cinema Jove 2021, Spain
Ischia Film Festival 2021, Italy
SAFAR Film Festival 2021, UK
Leiden Shorts 2021, Netherlands
Monterrey International Film Festival 2021, Mexico
Festival Silhouette 2021, France
Sedicicorto International Film Festival 2021, Italy - Movie Award, Best International Short Film
HollyShorts Film Festival 2021, USA
FICBUEU - Bueu International Short Film Festival 2021, Spain - Best Director Award
BFI London Film Festival 2021, UK
Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival 2021, Armenia
Cinemed - Festival International du Cinéma Méditerranéen de Montpellier 2021, France
Leeds International Film Festival 2021, UK
Lumières d'Afrique Film Festival 2021, France
Baku International Short Film Festival 2021, Azerbaijan
Rencontres du Film Court de Madagascar 2021
Macau International Short Film Festival 2021 (China)
​​BOGOSHORTS - Bogotá Short Film Festival 2021, Colombia
International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala 2021, India
Festival Internacional de Cine de Iquique 2021, Chile

Organizations

2 files

Partners

  • Arterial network
  • Media, Sports and Entertainment Group (MSE)
  • Gens de la Caraïbe
  • Groupe 30 Afrique
  • Alliance Française VANUATU
  • PACIFIC ARTS ALLIANCE
  • FURTHER ARTS
  • Zimbabwe : Culture Fund Of Zimbabwe Trust
  • RDC : Groupe TACCEMS
  • Rwanda : Positive Production
  • Togo : Kadam Kadam
  • Niger : ONG Culture Art Humanité
  • Collectif 2004 Images
  • Africultures Burkina-Faso
  • Bénincultures / Editions Plurielles
  • Africiné
  • Afrilivres

With the support of