Caravan Presents: MENA Shorts

This time round, the recurring Caravan series, focusing on films from and/or about the Middle East and North Africa, brings a programme of short films.

WOMAN IS THE NECK (2019, 20 min., dir. Širín Nafarieh)

Together with the director, the film takes us to Iran, the country where part of her family comes from. Through three family members from different generations, we discover views of local society, the position of women, and everyday life in an environment of limited freedom. The film offers personal and intimate accounts of their life stories and how they cope with the reality of life in this culture. The film won first place at the FAMU FEST festival.

72 VIRGINS (2020, 10 min., dir. Širín Nafarieh)

The film 72 Virgins critically examines the controversial interpretation of religious values appropriated by Islamist terrorists. The narrator in the story takes an active role and points out the absurdity of some now outdated religious rules and norms that discriminate against women and are not part of common Muslim practice. The film also touches on a broader religious context: in addition to Islam, it briefly touches on controversial statements from the Bible and suggests that problematic interpretations are not limited to one religion. The film is thus a personal testimony and symbolic criticism of all forms of religious extremism and abuse of power.

A SPICY FISH (2019, 14 min., dir. Majd Zaghir)

Tayma is a rural Syrian who believes that her happiness is linked to her family, she leaves school and marries Jamil, who dies in the war, leaving Tayma and their daughter, Nay, forcing her to open a small restaurant in the village. But what is the cost of starting a successful life away from her family?

A THING THAT NEVER HAPPENED (2025, 16 min., dir. Majd Zaghir)

Baher lives in an isolated haven with his wife, Sanea, and their daughter, Ym. Their peace is shattered by the arrival of Ihab, bleeding on their front door. Baher is paralysed by fear, as he knows that Ihab, whom Baher murdered in his youth, is still alive. Meanwhile, Baher’s sleep is plagued with nightmares in which his past crimes come to confront him. Baher grows increasingly desperate to get rid of Ihab. Baher drowns Ihab, thinking the story is over. When he returns home, it becomes clear that his attempt to avoid facing up to his past has been in vain.