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CANADA-BASED Bahraini creative Deena Alsaweer’s latest short film that explores the power of human connection and the resilient Palestinian spirit is set for global release this month.
The production, titled Stitches, will premier in Toronto after which it will be available online for a limited time.
Laced with humour, cultural nuances and ‘a touch of bittersweet reality’, the English language movie, with some Arabic, runs for around 13 minutes.
The plot follows Palestinian dressmaker Kareem and his feisty niece Hind who defy a wedding dress ban by smuggling the sartorial creations as wrapping papers into the country.
Since 2007, various items categorised as ‘dual-use’ – primarily civilian but could have military uses – have been banned or require special permission to enter Gaza. Wedding dresses were added to the list later.
“Stitches was part of a film residency hosted by the Toronto Palestine Film Festival (TPFF),” Deena, who wrote, directed and produced the short film, told GulfWeekly.
“I worked with co-producer, Kevin Laporte and Saudi filmmaker Maha Al Saati, who graciously helped me in the script development process.
“They (TPFF) announced the residency with the prompt ‘pitch a story about what it means to be Palestinian today’. I wanted to show the nuances of Arab culture that we never see in Western media: passion, hospitality, resilience and a sense of community.
“Initially, my idea was to follow a Palestinian bride at a salon in Canada, showing the unique traditions of Arab weddings. But then I learned about a wedding dress ban in Palestine, amongst other household items such as chocolate, crayons, baby bottles and many others. So, I adapted my vision to a Palestinian-Canadian dressmaker who gets deeply affected upon learning about this ban,” she added.
The project was filmed in a café in Ottawa, Canada where Deena is currently based. The filmmaker also collaborated with a local Palestinian-owned wedding dress boutique for props.
“Our biggest challenge was finding the perfect location,” she said.
“As the film is visually tied to our main character, the dress shop had to be an accurate reflection of his personality: warm, colourful, inviting and well-taken care of.
“Kevin took on this challenge and not only did he find the perfect shop, but the owner of that shop had all the qualities of our main character. He was extremely generous, very supportive, kind and passionate about the message we were delivering through Stitches.
“I really wanted to include a Bahraini character in this film, but there aren’t any Bahraini actors in Ottawa and none that I know of in Ontario/Canada in general. It’s important for me to continue to find places in my work to spotlight Bahrain in any way I can,” the Fulbright scholar with a Master of Arts in Film/TV from the Savannah College of Art and Design said.
Deena also revealed that the short film features popular Bahraini musician Flipperachi’s song Hayalla Min Yana, Arabic for ‘welcome to whomever is coming to visit us’.
The filmmaker also worked with Los Angeles-based former Bahrain resident Ashwin ‘Xenai’ Shenoy for the production’s soundtrack.
“It’s (Hayalla Min Yana) the most perfectly unexpected combination of visuals and music. I’m extremely excited for Western audiences to hear and experience this side of Bahrain.
“We put a lot of thought into the music to blend Western, Khaleeji, and Palestinian styles to create a unique rhythm that fits the story and characters,” she said, explaining her collaboration with Ashwin.
GulfWeekly previously reported that Deena is focused on sharing stories where Arabs and Arab culture are showcased positively. And while she enjoys making short films, she hopes to take the leap into feature film production soon.
“I am working towards becoming a full time director, but what I’ve learned through all my past projects and short films is that it’s unlikely one can be a great director without working on the craft of screenwriting.
“So this year, my focus is on writing and developing a web series with a co-writer, and my first feature film, inshallah, with a co-writer as well,” she added.
Stitches is premiering at the TIFF Lightbox Cinema on September 26 in Toronto. The short film can also be viewed online starting September 27, for a limited time – those interested can pre-order the film now.
For more details, follow @batikha_pro on Instagram.
