The Bleaching Syndrome
Ajyal Competition, Made in Qatar - Ajyal Film Festival 2018
Eiman Mirghani / Short Documentary / Qatar / 2018 / 20 min / DCP / In Arabic, English / Arabic, English subtitles / Qatar Premiere
Rated: Parental guidance is advised for viewers under the age of 13. Individuals under the age of 13 are not admitted into cinemas unless accompanied by an individual aged 18 or older.
Synopsis
Eiman Mirghani, an Afro-Arab filmmaker living in Qatar, sets out to make a documentary about a Sudanese beautician who, like many other Sudanese women today, bleaches her skin as part of her “beauty routine”. After coming across challenges in making the film, particularly in which the woman becomes hesitant in speaking openly about the subject, Eiman begins to look inwards regarding this increasing trend. She looks to find answers towards her lifelong feeling of unworthiness and underrepresentation in a world that is discreetly but deeply intolerant.
About the Director
Sudanese-Egyptian filmmaker Eiman Mirghani has always been interested in pushing boundaries through her works. Upon graduating with a BA in Media & Film Studies from the University of Nottingham in 2015, Eiman started working in Doha, Qatar. Her directorial debut in 2017 was the short film 'Is That All There Is?', a neo-noir, crime film which premiered in various festivals worldwide. Eiman’s second short film 'The Bleaching Syndrome' was produced as part of the Doha Film Institute’s annual Documentary Lab in 2018 which was led by world-renowned Cambodian documentary filmmaker Rithy Panh.
Credits
- Director
- Eiman Mirghani
- Producer
- Atheel El Malik, Eiman Mirghani
- Cinematographer
- Hadeer Omar