Searing shorts bare Bahrain's serious side

GFF is a unique opportunity to gauge the dreams, concerns and mood of young artists from around the Gulf and beyond.

This year's contributions from Bahrain reveal a slate of short fiction that presents powerful statements on the world and the human condition, and all can be seen in the week's free public screenings.

8 films will vie for top spots in the official competition, including shorts and student shorts while one film will be showcased in the out of competition 'Lights' segment.

Many of the short films explore elements of dysfunction, in effect asking if dissatisfaction or stunted hopes are endemic to humanity. Yassin, by writer and playwright Jamal al-Ghailan, is the story of the title character, slaving towards a dream that will never be realized. Actor and director Hussain Al Riffaei's Cage explores the disturbing relationship between a man in his 30's and his younger sister, whom he has kept locked up for five years after suspecting her of dating a man. She in turn retaliates by not speaking a word.

How long can this tenuous balance last? Yesterday features the last moments of young Khalil, who dies at an early age, and explores his love of cinema and the social and economic problems that keep him from realizing his dream of being a filmmaker. The Cork, by filmmaker and 'Cinenym' club founder Aisha Al Muqla, reveals the struggle between democratic and non-democratic nations, in particular regarding the issue of freedom of speech.

The Bahraini submissions also show a flair for the experimental, playing with the idea of audience and filmmaking as well as offering poetic contemplations of everyday life. Ghobar (Dust), by award-winning directorial duo Abdulla Al-Sadaawi and Mohammed Janahi, follows a group of people are thinking of making a film.

The director explains the basics of filmmaking, where the reality of their daily life blends with fantasy. Ali Alali's Mraimy, set in the sixties, follows a belly dancer who renounces her community and falls madly in love with a fisherman.

The films that deal with Bahrain culture offer a spot of joy along with a jolt of passion. Filmmaker Mohammed Rashed Bu-Ali's Al-Bashara (The Good Omen) depicts the Bahraini tradition of hanging a woman's dress, or 'Nashal,' over the roof of a home in which a family member has returned from a long absence.

In the student shorts category, Burning Flowers, directed by Al Reef Arabic Short Film Festival Director Mohammed Ebrahim Mohammed, contemplates the eyes as a window to the inner soul, following the metaphor to colour the entire screen with a dystopic view of human life,. Mahmood Alshiakh's End? No! explores the gap between the human and the unreal and is part of the Festival's 'Lights' segment.

The Gulf Film Festival is the only festival devoted to films from the GCC region, and is devoted to showcasing the region's talent to an international audience.