Ablution

This is a powerful and provocative short from newcomer Omar Al Dakheel. It centers on a young Middle Eastern man (Waleed) coming to terms with his sexuality in a deeply religious household. Like with Dee Rees' superb coming of age film Pariah, I became engrossed in the lead's struggle with honoring himself vs honoring his parent. It's unfortunate that many others are faced with this very same dilemma, even today.

The trio's performances, writing, and direction are all top notch and the minimal locations prove that you don't need an extravagant production to tell a moving story. The only downside was that I wanted it to keep going, but then again that's what a strong short does. Leave you wanting more.