Abandon
Fall Grants 2020 - Production Stage
Farah Shaer / Short Experimental or Essay / Lebanon, Qatar / 15 min / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Drama
Synopsis
A VR 360° short that tells the story of Khalil and Zalfa, a middle-aged couple, and how they spend their last day in Lebanon before their planned emigration—amid the country’s socio-economic meltdown. After a long day of preparing, their destination turns out to be much darker than expected.
Credits
- Director
- Farah Shaer
- Screenwriter
- Farah Shaer
About the Director
Farah Shaer is a Lebanese director, actress, and socio-political activist. Her debut short fiction film ‘I Offered You Pleasure’ (2012) was selected at Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival and Busan Film Festival, among others. In 2015, she was awarded a full-ride scholarship to pursue an MFA in Film Directing at UCLA. Farah’s latest short film ‘Soukoon’ was selected at acclaimed festivals such as Telluride Film Festival, Palm Springs Film Festival, and CINEMED Film Festival. She received several awards on her short films including the Motion Picture Association of America Award, James Bridges Award of an Outstanding Director, Delia Salvi Memorial Award for Directing the Actors, and UCLA Directors’ Spotlight Award. She also co-produced and acted in the Lebanese feature film ‘Heaven Without People’ that won the Jury Prize at Dubai Film Festival (2017). Farah Shaer is currently in the script development writing stage of her debut fiction feature film.