Within Sand

Original title: Within Sand
Genre: Drama
Director: Moe Alatawi
Country: Saudi Arabia
Year of production: 2022
Czas: 115 min

Awards and nominations:
2022 Red Sea International Film Festival: Jury Prize
2022 Colorist Awards: nomination for Jury Prize

The main protagonist, Snam (Ra'ed Alshammari) is a 23-year-old tobacco seller. While roaming an endless desert, he wanders off, separates from the group and falls into a trap prepared by two thieves. He faces a certain death while his pregnant wife, Halla (Adwa Fahad) does everything in her power to find him. When helplessness and loneliness begin to take their toll, Snam realizes he’s being followed by a mysterious wolf. In his directorial debut, Moe Alatawi balances on the verge of dream and reality, taking his protagonist through uncertainty of what’s real and what’s only an illusion, a desert mirage. To achieve this, he complemented dialogues with breathtaking cinematography. The filmmaker took care of every detail, from eye-catching costumes to the subtlest emotions on Snam’s face. Faith plays an important role in Alatawi’s film, giving Snam strength to withstand the mighty force of nature and come back to his beloved wife.

Author: Justyna Miś

Director:
Moe Alatawi – a Saudi Arabian director and screenwriter, born in 1993. When he discovered his passion for cinema, he decided to continue his career in London. Since then, he’s directed and produced many short films and commercials. “Within Sand”, awarded at the Red Sea International Film Festival, is his feature directorial debut.

   subtitles in Polish and English