Short Film Review “Who Hugs The Sea” Basic humanity brilliantly, creatively, profoundly explored in abstract
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First, the Recap:
A world in chaos. Not what we would wish for, as it should be with anything that threatens to undermine the existence and freedoms we enjoy. Yet, in looking around at this contemporary time we’re in, what appears to be more present than all else is political, social, and cultural upheaval. In view of the tragic reality this showcases, how much more does it all get intensified when the very foundation of who we are is getting eroded just as conspicuously?? Then, CAN we actually FIND true solace again??
Through the sounds of undulating waves on the shore, the chiming voice of a child, the harried cries of a man who only wishes to see peace once more, to a motley group of people whose lives come into each other’s path, it is a foray into who they are which drives them individually and with varied states of mood. For the old man (Hussein Nakhleh), a young man named Bahr (Sherif Saleh) and the young woman (Rola) with him, plus a gaggle of guests in Bahr’s home (Ahmed Ehab, Yosif Elobeid, Ahmed Nasser Seif, and Moustafa Elmeileigi), it is all about discerning LIFE.
Next, my Mind:
I find myself first having to say that we, as the mainstream filmgoing audience, tend to lean towards the fashion of filmmaking that follows what most might call “the industry format”, mainly straightforward and commonplace in order to attract the largest masses to the high-budgeted efforts being presented. However, we then arrive at the point where mainstream process not only gets left behind, but truly, utterly forsaken in order to instead convey more avant-garde imagery and narrative directions that challenge every notion of “the norm”, while prompting us as the viewer to THINK about what we are witnessing and pull from it the relatability and applicability of it to our own place in reality as well as the grander world at large. This is what I more believe to be not just the heartbeat of indie cinema, but also of a greater sub-niche that is experimental cinema. For this new 21-minute short film project that arrives courtesy of Egyptian writer/director/producer Mahmoud Mahmoud and executive producer Ghada Ktata, the means by which our very core of life is explored gets delivered with uniqueness, raw passion, and inspired eccentricity.
Assuredly deviating from the “formal” stylings found in most familiar arenas of the filmmaking world, the narrative here delves into the joys, though mostly laments honestly, of the human condition as seen through the eyes of a highly diverse group of people, young and old, male and female, happy and sad, some connected with the actuality of their state of mind, others not so much, all blended together to create a central portrait of just how scattered we are AS people existing in a world that seems to only be falling apart. Folks, again, this is a quirky adventure that doesn’t just blatantly become obvious in this intent, but rather causes you to have to sit there and piece together what you’re absorbing, ponder it, and at least try to perceive then appreciate the story’s ultimate messages. Yes, to many, this sounds like “too much work” to handle when watching a film. But, for this critic, it only serves as a reminder of that fact we’ve so much lost our ability to have PATIENCE and willingness to TAKE THE TIME to recognize and realize things that take longer than a 30-second TikTok video to comprehend and see the relevancy of.
Therefore, thematically, the film is a WEALTH of necessary truths we should absolutely grasp onto given the baseline actuality represented in the film, which again is a world filled with war, personal strife, self-serving attitudes, a societally fractured construct. How we feel isolated and alone even as we cry out against the storms we face and see occurring, wondering if anyone does care anymore, the absence of compassion, how we are polarized, separated, selfish vs. selfless, how we cope with it, longing for the beauty of genuine love as it should be, generational seeking of meaning and direction, the necessity of having a lighter outlook on things rather than being buried in depression and silence, the sense of emotional unavailability even when we are present in our own and others’ lives, the power of recollection and the good things we try to hold fast to, our vulnerability and having the fragility of who we are exposed when simply wishing to just BE ourselves, a need to return to innocence, kindness, unity, and support of one another are all concepts explored via the unconventional visual presentation and deftly utilized music that accents the journey.
It manifests into a collective plea for the world to return to a place of innocence in perspective, embodied through the kaleidoscope of emotional states depicted, employing the notion of the sea as a metaphorical tapestry encompassing the ever-fluctuating nature of us as people, unsettled, yet something we need to embrace and acknowledge in order to have the hurricanes of war, famine, poverty, and subsequent schisms between us overcome and restored to a state of placidness that would benefit EVERYONE. I know this may all end up sounding overtly ambiguous or cryptic as a whole. But, that IS the magic of this film and hence why I feel it deserves the investment of TIME to realize that even with the starkness and uncomplicated simplicity many of its settings are carried out through, it doesn’t take away from the REAL purpose of what we are supposed to glean from the narrative and ideas being unveiled. Frankly, it’s a film that must be seen to truly respect and consider what Mahmoud is providing here, and I do very much hope this film gets the opportunities to be screened by as many people in the world as possible.
The ensemble cast here was a well-oiled machine that so adeptly exemplifies the resolute declarations the film is meant to put forth. Each actor almost becomes a requisite caricature of the individual states of being revealed, some for humor, some more serious, but ALL possessing an intelligently crafted degree of exaggeration in their respective aspects of the film’s themes they portray. Veteran actor Nakhleh’s old man is the all-encompassing image of the film’s thematic nucleus, credibly and with achingly impactful energy exuding the desperation, inner conflict, and heartbreaking yearning for the world to be a better place yet at the time seems without possibility. Saleh brings about a total image of astutely executed understated acting through his role as Bahr, a man deeply immersed in depression who only wishes to be sincerely loved and cared for yet remains detached even when the possibility for what he wishes is present. Rola, with her strikingly charismatic beauty, is a woman whom Bahr has with him, a source of what we might want, yet she remains unheard and also strangely detached, really a barrier rather than a bridge for him.
There’s an allure she also represents, there yet not there, whether for herself or Bahr. It’s subtle in its delivery yet strong in its meaning, and Rola excels in enacting this dichotomy of purpose. Ehab is a first glimpse of mild humor through his role as the first guest that arrives at Bahr’s home, a possible Millennial who is “swimming” in a sea of uncertainty and longing amidst a world coming apart. Elobeid is a second guest entering the proceedings, a man wanting everyone to be happy for his upcoming wedding while also wishing to try and be the life of the party, a complete comedic presence and an exercise in the absurdity of all that is being explored in the film. Seif is another “old man” who arrives, someone who is filled with haunted but cherished recollections of past love who brings a musical facet to the growing group’s experience. Elmeileigi is the final guest, the son of Seif’s character, who more than makes himself at home at Bahr’s place, to an extent that is hilarious yet “quiet” in its representation compared to Elobeid’s more boisterous character.
Then, via voice only, is Nor El-Esaily who is the sound of innocence as a child who’s recounting a letter she wrote and the accompanying youthful aspirations to be there for others that very much becomes the foil to the otherwise tumultuous reality the film is dealing with. This entire cast really had their work cut out for them in my opinion, having to do so much to skillfully play the “mood” and symbolic nature of their roles yet do so in a manner that would display it all cohesively and with intent, which they ALL did with believability and talent. So, in total, “Who Hugs The Sea” is a definitive example of indie/experimental film, bold, fearless, distinctive, and unorthodox with a purpose, using its imagery and music to cultivate a contemplative, even meditative atmosphere illustrating the critical need for us to come back together as a collective whole and ideally see an end to all that keeps us apart as fellow human beings. Because if we don’t seek this, then we will be just like the crashing waves, hitting an unforgiving shoreline then getting washed away forever. Let’s strive to find that which appears so elusive in the midst of seemingly endless struggle…..HOPE. PEACE. LOVE. RESPECT.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
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