Not Dead But Sleeping
Fall Grants 2023 - Production Stage
Arwa Aburawa, Turab Shah / Short Narrative / Jordan, Sweden, United Kingdom, Qatar / 30 min / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Drama, Fiction
Synopsis
‘Not Dead But Sleeping’ is a film about two women whose worlds collide as they confront grief and betrayal. Bilqis is the child of Syrian migrants who find refuge in Swedish Lapland. Hajar is an idealistic young Palestinian who fights in a war of liberation that her people win. However, both their worlds soon come crumbling down when they realise the dreams they were promised were built on lies. Bilqis’ family have their asylum claim rejected after four years of living in Sweden. For Hajar, the promise of a free Palestine is never realised, and the pain of the sacrifice her best friend made becomes unbearable.
Credits
- Director
- Arwa Aburawa, Turab Shah
- Screenwriter
- Arwa Aburawa, Turab Shah
- Producer
- Turab Shah
- Production Company
- Other Cinemas
About the Director
Arwa Aburawa and Turab Shah are a filmmaking duo who share a dedication to examining race, migration and the ongoing legacies of colonialism. Their first fiction film, ‘I Carry It With Me Everywhere’, premiered at the Brent Biennial ’22 and was praised as a “beautifully shot film which explores the complex webs of duty, danger, belonging and family ties that keep migrants suspended between two worlds. Their latest work ‘And Still, it Remains’ documents life in a Saharan village in Algeria still dealing with the aftermath of France’s nuclear bombings there. Together, they founded Other Cinemas, an award-winning project dedicated to supporting black and non-white filmmakers and their communities.
Arwa Aburawa and Turab Shah are a filmmaking duo who share a dedication to examining race, migration and the ongoing legacies of colonialism. Their first fiction film, ‘I Carry It With Me Everywhere’, premiered at the Brent Biennial ’22 and was praised as a “beautifully shot film which explores the complex webs of duty, danger, belonging and family ties that keep migrants suspended between two worlds. Their latest work ‘And Still, it Remains’ documents life in a Saharan village in Algeria still dealing with the aftermath of France’s nuclear bombings there. Together, they founded Other Cinemas, an award-winning project dedicated to supporting black and non-white filmmakers and their communities.