Zahida (Samina Ahmed) arrives at a home for the elderly, thinking her son, who brought her there, will take her back after a short while. However, she is skeptical about leaving her home, feels lonely and abandoned in her new one, especially after encountering some of the residents suffering from dementia and other illnesses. Upon meeting her roommate, a woman named Farhat (Dr. Durdana Butt) she thinks she has met someone to talk to and to give her hope. But the reality of her new home eventually sets in.
In his short feature, which has been nominated for many festivals, for example, Taos Shortz Film Festival, director Ali Sohail Jaura presents himself as a talented visual storyteller. Using sparse dialogue, but multi-layered images and symbols, he tells a story about arriving at a new place and a period of adjustment for the main character. The careful framing of each scene delves deep into the thoughts of Zahida, her loneliness and longing for her original home, giving “Dry Leaves” an overall very contemplative tone, which is further emphasized by the use of black-and-white-photography.
The idea of being abandoned by your loved ones and adjusting to the new realities of your life is certainly not new, but it is expressed quite eloquently in this short feature. With the images mimicking the perspective of the protagonist, the new “home” feels cold at times, unwelcoming even. Jaura is aware of there being no resolution for the conflict of the story and instead cleverly offers options, possibilities rather than over-simplifying a complicated process which is just beginning.
In the end, “Dry Leaves” is a very well-made short feature about adjusting to new realities in your life. Aesthetically eloquent and supported by a great cast, Ali Sohail Jaura’s feature is quite promising.
