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In this shorts program, we are introduced to some complicated protagonists you just can’t help but root for. In these all-too-human dramedies, self-awareness proves both a blessing and a curse. Runtime is approximately 51 minutes.
Based on a short story by Saeed Teebi, we meet Nader, a Palestinian international student looking for friendship in a new country. Hoping to fit in with his exploitative roommates, Nader invents a girlfriend named "Cynthia," who gradually becomes a warped projection of Nader’s insecurities as a foreigner. As fantasy and reality blur, he must decide whether to end the illusion or keep clinging to the only 'person' who values him.
About the Filmmaker:
Omar Mouallem is an author, filmmaker and podcast producer. His feature-length debut, The Lebanese Burger Mafia (Screened at AANM's Arab Film Festival in 2024), a first-person documentary about the unlikely link between a fast-food chain and Lebanon's civil war, premiered at Hot Docs 2023 and won Audience Choice at NorthwestFest, as well as Best Documentary and Best Documentary Director at the Silk Road Film Festival. He has directed three CBC documentaries, including Digging in the Dirt, an investigation into suicides in the oil and gas industry, and Making Kayfabe, an absurdist biographical comedy about his brief stint as a pro wrestler. Omar also wrote How Muslims Shaped the Americas, named one of The Globe and Mail’s Top 100 books of the year, and has written for The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and many others.
- Year2025
- Runtime18 minutes
- LanguageEnglish, Arabic
- CountryCanada
- Content WarningThis film includes adult language and mature content
- DirectorOmar Mouallem
- ScreenwriterSaeed Teebi, Omar Mouallem
- ProducerOmar Mouallem, Mazen Mahfouz, Moh Mahfouz, Saeed Teebi
- CastMegan Tracz, Anas Hasan, Zachary Dean Friesen
- CinematographerIssa Shah
- EditorLeen Issa
- Production DesignEtta George House
In this shorts program, we are introduced to some complicated protagonists you just can’t help but root for. In these all-too-human dramedies, self-awareness proves both a blessing and a curse. Runtime is approximately 51 minutes.
Based on a short story by Saeed Teebi, we meet Nader, a Palestinian international student looking for friendship in a new country. Hoping to fit in with his exploitative roommates, Nader invents a girlfriend named "Cynthia," who gradually becomes a warped projection of Nader’s insecurities as a foreigner. As fantasy and reality blur, he must decide whether to end the illusion or keep clinging to the only 'person' who values him.
About the Filmmaker:
Omar Mouallem is an author, filmmaker and podcast producer. His feature-length debut, The Lebanese Burger Mafia (Screened at AANM's Arab Film Festival in 2024), a first-person documentary about the unlikely link between a fast-food chain and Lebanon's civil war, premiered at Hot Docs 2023 and won Audience Choice at NorthwestFest, as well as Best Documentary and Best Documentary Director at the Silk Road Film Festival. He has directed three CBC documentaries, including Digging in the Dirt, an investigation into suicides in the oil and gas industry, and Making Kayfabe, an absurdist biographical comedy about his brief stint as a pro wrestler. Omar also wrote How Muslims Shaped the Americas, named one of The Globe and Mail’s Top 100 books of the year, and has written for The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and many others.
- Year2025
- Runtime18 minutes
- LanguageEnglish, Arabic
- CountryCanada
- Content WarningThis film includes adult language and mature content
- DirectorOmar Mouallem
- ScreenwriterSaeed Teebi, Omar Mouallem
- ProducerOmar Mouallem, Mazen Mahfouz, Moh Mahfouz, Saeed Teebi
- CastMegan Tracz, Anas Hasan, Zachary Dean Friesen
- CinematographerIssa Shah
- EditorLeen Issa
- Production DesignEtta George House