Our Males and Females is a short film from Jordan directed by Ahmad Alyaseer.[1] It was written by Rana Alyaseer and Ahmad Alyaseer and produced by Mais Salman and Ahmad Alyaseer.[2] The film explores themes of gender identity, societal expectations, and the complexity of human relationships.[3]
| Our Males and Females | |
|---|---|
 Film Poster | |
| Directed by | Ahmad Alyaseer |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Samer Nimri |
| Edited by | Abdallah Sada |
| Music by | Philip Hashweh |
Release date |
|
Running time | 11 minutes |
| Country | Jordan |
| Language | Arabic |
The film has won notable awards including Best Narrative Short film at the 54th Nashville Film Festival making it eligible for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.[4]
Plot
editA set of parents are faced with the painful task of washing and shrouding their deceased transgender daughter. Shrouding is an Islamic religious practice that is deemed obligatory to carry out upon death. But when no one agrees to wash her and shame falls onto the family, how far is the father willing to go to make sure his "son" is washed?[5][6]
Cast
edit- Kamel El Basha as The Father
- Shafiqa Al Tal as The Mother
- Mutaz Al Labadi as The Male Washer
- Sna' Saleh as The Female Washer
- Tetiana Beras as The Daughter
Release
editOur Males and Females had its world premiere on January 19, 2023, at Slamdance Film Festival.[7] A week after, it had its European premiere at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival where it was part of the international competition.[8] Following that, the film had a strong festival run and it was selected for 17 Oscar Qualifying Film Festivals.[9][10]
Reception
editOur Males and Females has garnered widespread acclaim from film critics. It has been reviewed and rated by Brian Penn of UK Film Review,[11] Bobby Lepire from Film Threat,[12] Matt Fagerholm of RogerEbert[1] and Steve Kopian of Unseen Films.[13]
Despite its short duration, the film has attracted comments by several media and other film reviewers.[14][15][16] The Film Verdict media stated that the film is a work of resounding emotion that extends beyond its microcosmic scenario.[17][18]
Production
editThe film was self-funded in Jordan by the director.[19] The film was banned by censorship from many Arab countries.[20]
Awards
editThe film has officially been selected for 160 film festivals in around 47 countries and has received 124 awards,[21] including:
| Year | Ceremony | Award/Category | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Nashville Film Festival[4] | Best Narrative Short | Won |
| 2023 | Odense International Film Festival[22] | H. C. Andersen Award for Best Short Film | Nominated |
| 2023 | Palm Springs International ShortFest[23] | Best Live Action Under 15 Minutes | Nominated |
| Best LGBTQ+ Short | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival[8] | Grand Prix | Nominated |
| 2023 | Oldenburg Film Festival[24] | Jury Special Mention | Won |
| 2023 | Dallas International Film Festival[25] | Audience Award for Best Short Film | Won |
| Jury Special Prize | Won | ||
| 2023 | Iris Prize | Iris Prize | Nominated |
| 2023 | Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia[26] | George Lucas Award | Nominated |
| 2023 | La Guarimba International Film Festival[27] | Best Fiction Short Film | Won |
| 2023 | Athens International Film and Video Festival[28] | Best Narrative Short | Nominated |
| 2023 | Boston Short Film Festival[29] | Best Narrative Short Film | Won |
| Best LGBTQ+ | Won | ||
| 2023 | Cleveland International Film Festival[30] | Best Live Action Short Film | Nominated |
| 2023 | Florida Film Festival[31] | Best Narrative Short | Nominated |
| 2023 | Slamdance Film Festival[7] | Best Narrative Short | Nominated |
| 2023 | International Short Film Festival Psarokokalo[32] | Best Film with Emphasis on Diversity | Won |
| 2023 | Tirana International Film Festival[33] | Best Fiction Short Film | Nominated |
| 2023 | FEST New Directors/New Films Festival[34] | Silver Lynx | Nominated |
| 2023 | Maremetraggio International ShorTS Film Festival[35] | Audience Award | Won |
| 2023 | Indy Shorts International Film Festival[1] | Narrative Short | Nominated |
| 2023 | Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival[36] | Best Short Film | Won |
| 2023 | Regard: Saguenay International Short Film Festival[37] | Parallel Competition | Nominated |
| Short & Queer Award | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | BRUKIVKA International Film Festival[38] | Jury Prize | Won |
| Union of the Ukrainian Film Critics Prize | Won | ||
| 2023 | Cordillera International Film Festival[39] | Best of Festival - Short Film | Nominated |
| Best Director Short Film | Nominated | ||
| Best International Short Film | Nominated | ||
| Best LGBTQIA+ Award | Won |
References
edit- ^ a b c Fagerholm, Matt. "No Moment was Wasted: Highlights at the 2023 Indy Shorts International Film Festival". rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "الفيلم الأردني "وذكرنا وأنثانا".. الحكي في المسكوت عنه". eremnews.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "فيلم "وذكرنا وأنثانا" لأحمد اليسير يطرح مواضيع ممنوعة في الاردن". ar.lemaghreb.tn (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ a b "2023 Competition Winners". NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
- ^ Our Males and Females (2022) | MUBI, retrieved 2023-10-04
- ^ ""وذكرنا وأنثانا": دين وتحوّل جنسي تحت سماء الأردن". ar.annahar.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ a b "Our Males and Females". slamdancechannel.com. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
- ^ a b "Clermont ISFF | Breakfast avec Wa Thakarina Wa Unthana (Aux hommes et aux femmes) | Clermont ISFF" (in French). Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ Our Males and Females (Short 2023) - Awards - IMDb, retrieved 2023-10-05
- ^ "فيلم "وذكرنا وأنثانا" لأحمد اليسير يطرح مواضيع ممنوعة في الاردن". ar.lemaghreb.tn (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Our Males and Females Review | Film Reviews". UK Film Review. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Our Males And Females Featured, Reviews Film Threat". 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ Kopian, Steve. "Our Males and Females (2023) Slamdance 2023". Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Short Redhead Reel Reviews". shortredheadreelreviews.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ AustinCharacter (2023-02-06). "SlamDance 2023 "Our Males and Females": Cultural Bridges and Generational Tunnels". Dreamweaverarts. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Jordanian Film Broaches Transgender Issues in the Arab World". 2023-05-14. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Our Males and Females - The Film Verdict". 2023-09-15. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "معاناة زوجين في تغسيل نجلهما المتحول جنسيا.. بطل "ذكرنا وأنثانا": يحلل قضية حساسة". alqaheranews.net. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ Chris (2023-04-12). "'Our Males and Females' - An Interview with Ahmad Alyaseer". Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "وذكرنا وأنثانا... فيلم أردني عن العبور الجنسي في مجابهة الدين". رصيف22 (in Arabic). 2023-02-14. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Our Males and Females Short Film". Our Males and Females. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "OFF23: And the winners are..." OFF - Odense International Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Our Males and Females | Palm Springs International Film Festival". www.psfilmfest.org. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott (2023-09-17). "Ayse Polat's 'In the Blind Spot' Wins Oldenburg Film Festival German Independence Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ wilbins, beth (2023-05-09). "Dallas International Film Festival Announces Grand Jury Prizes and Audience Awards". Dallas Film. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ ""息子" - » Our Males and Females". Short Shorts Film Festival ＆amp; Asia 2023(SSFF & ASIA 2023). Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ Vecchio, Concetto. "Conclusa la XI edizione de La Guarimba International Film festival". www.ionionotizie.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "2023 Schedule | 51st Athens International Film + Video Festival - April 8-14, 2024". Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Boston Short Film Festival Closes Another Great Edition, Announces Award Winners Of 2023". ifilmfestival.com. 2023-07-17. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Our Males and Females". CIFF. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Florida Film Festival shorts: Racism, S&M, religion and satire". Orlando Sentinel. 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Awards 2023". Psarokokalo. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "TIRANAFILMFEST". TIFF. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Silver Lynx - Fiction #03". site.pt. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "I vincitori". ShorTS International Film Festival (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Oslo/Fusion Film Festival: Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival Winners 2023". oslofusion.no. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Wa Thakarina Wa Unthana". festivalregard.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "International Film Festival "Brukivka" announced the winners". MovieBloc. 2023-09-17. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "2023 Awards". Cordillera. Retrieved 2023-10-05.