Withered Green

one of the most heartbreaking experiences I've ever seen on cinema.

Hammad portrays his characters through their movement and their hyper realistic environment, that was not in the least bit polished which made the movie so close to the hearts of its entitled audience. Eman's story is a tragedy, between her loneliness and demands of her sister she suffers but does not complain. The repetitiveness and the coldness of the film served it best, The silence submerged me into becoming Eman and feeling the passing of time crushing my life under its rails.

this is one of the demanding films and it needs a level of maturity to really appreciate it. 10/10

"Withered Green" manages to avoid the familiar tropes of Realism in Cinema. These tropes, having been overused and abused, strips the film's characters of their so-called realism. That being the case with Hala Khalil's "Nawara" last year. But what "Withered Green" offers is an honest, authentic portrait of an everyday woman who hasn't hit rock bottom but barley manages to keep herself afloat. "Withered Green" may be reminiscent of Hala Lotfy's "Coming Forth by Day". But unlike Lotfy's film, which succumbs to its self-indulgent style and doesn't offer a glimpse behind its surface, "Withered Green" slowly builds up its characters with little intricate details that blossom layer by layer and, in time, delivers its deserved emotional punch. Mohammed Hammad isn't afraid to delve into his character's sexuality, avoiding the awkwardness and the vulgarity exercised by the likes of Khaled Yousef. Instead, he approaches it with both the coldness of Michael Haneke's "Piano Teacher" and the disgust of Von Trier's "Antichrist."