Trances

After years of uprisings, earthquakes, genocides and displacements, our MENA/SWANA community understands the complexities of grief and its effects on our inner worlds. These films explore deep states of the mind, including stories on PTSD, depression and loss, and the hope of continuing to dream through catharsis. The staff describes this bundle as powerful, moving and emotional.

‍

Co-presented with:
No items found.
Runtime: 
108
 mins
The Motherfucker's Birthday
Saif Alsaegh
United States
2024
| 
Experimental
| 
7
mins
Language: 
Arabic, English
Through dancing, the film depicts the dictator’s evil and the horror people face under powerful leaders. Saddam and Bush dance, leaving the Iraqi people with no choice but to join in.
3350 KM
Sara Kontar
France
Syria
2023
| 
Experimental
| 
13
mins
Language: 
Arabic
Father and daughter have been separated by 3,350 kilometres for seven years. He lives in Syria, she lives in exile in Paris. All they have left is to talk on the internet.
Go Back to the Sky
Nina Zarabi
Iran
2022
| 
Drama
| 
15
mins
Language: 
Farsi
A woman with upside-down vision must confront her dark past when corrective goggles flip her world right-side up.
Water Of Life
Sündüs Gören
Türkiye
2023
| 
| 
15
mins
Language: 
Turkish
Sema has to be evacuated from her house due to a landslide. However, she does not want to leave this house where her roots belong.
The Poem We Sang
Annie Sakkab
Canada
Palestine
Jordan
2024
| 
Experimental
| 
21
mins
Language: 
Arabic
The Poem We Sang is a deeply personal and fiercely nostalgic journey that delves into love, longing, the trauma of forced migration, and the loss of a family home in Palestine.
Mango
Randa Ali
Egypt
2024
| 
Drama
| 
23
mins
Language: 
Arabic (Egyptian dialect)
During a hot August in Cairo, Nadia struggles to mourn her estranged father and his mango tree.
Beneath a Mother's Feet
Elias Suhail
Morocco
United Kingdom
2023
| 
Drama
| 
16
mins
Language: 
Arabic, Darija
A single mother in Morocco, trapped in a mundane existence, confronts her  dreams and fears, leading to the agonising decision to forsake all she knows, even her children.
Sunday, January 26, 2025
 | 
4:30 pm
VIFF Centre - Vancity Theatre
19＋
Tickets
 | 
19＋
Tickets
Jan 25
 - 
Streaming Online
19＋
Tickets