Family

Sami Saif is 28. He studied film direction. His father left him when he and his brother were very young. The brother later committed suicide. Sami wants to find his father, but is constantly postponing it. His hesitation is caused by fear, insecurity and doubts, but he eventually goes on a trip to Egypt, to face his father, who now has a new family. Using old Super 8 home-movie footage of himself and his brother, of the childhood he no longer recognises, alternated with beautiful shots of moving clouds, of the sky which constantly suggests the passing of time, moods and life situations, the director has created a very poetic but also disturbing documentary. Using it as the most important witness in his personal search, the director talks, cries and gets angry in front of the camera. A very strong sequence, made using a conventional cinematic technique, involves several telephone conversations. The scene lasts ten minutes, but the camera angle never changes and the lens never moves. Still, the inner suspense becomes so real that the sequence bursts with tension and pain. Spending a lot of time on the road, meditating about his present life, past and guilt, the director constantly shares his thoughts with the viewer. In this way, the search becomes the main subject, while the meeting with his father, which may or may not take place, is only the result. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)