Palestinian filmmaker Maha Haj seems to have found the recipe for success in the festival circuit, since, after the multi screened and awarded “Mediterranean Fever”, her latest work, the short “Upshot” went home with the Pardino d’Oro Swiss Life for Best Auteur Short Film Award and the Junior Jury Award for Best Auteur Short Film in Locarno. It is also a film that highlights both her rising competence as a filmmaker and the progress of short filmmaking in Asia in general.
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Suleiman and Lubna, a retired doctor and a housewife, are a couple who have retreated to an isolated farm, in a fashion that many people in the Mediterranean tend to do when they get older. They spend their days tending the fields (him) and the house (her) while, as most couples their age, bickering about their children, whom they have spoiled and who they have wronged, in interactions, though, that show their mutual respect and affection.
The comments that derive from this aspect send a message against patriarchy, with Suleiman acting like the ‘boss’ on many levels, occasionally undermining his wife’s value, even subconsciously. As such, the 30-minute short appears as another family drama, well-shot and acted, but essentially typical. The appearance, however, of a journalist in the area, who wants to talk to Dr Suleiman about his past, turns the whole thing on its head, with the twist here being as intelligent and unique as it is impactful.
The way this metastrophe takes place is a testament to both the writing and the direction of Maha Haj, with her buildup until the shock, and even more, what follows, being a true wonder to watch. The way Amer Hlehel, who plays the journalist, essentially mirrors the reaction Haj wanted her audience to have, is also rather smart.
Regarding the acting, Mohammad Bakri and Areen Omari as husband and wife are also excellent, highlighting their wonderful chemistry throughout the short. At the same time, they present another comment here, about the way denial can be a conscious choice in order to cope with grief.
The cinematography by Augustin Bonnet is competent, making the most out of a film that unfolds like a stage play on occasion, allowing the focus to be on the characters and their words. Veronique Lange’s editing results in a mid-tempo that suits the aesthetics of the movie, while being part of the aforementioned build up.
Watching hundreds of films every year, it seems I always reach a point when I say nothing can surprise me anymore, at least not pleasantly. Maha Haj’s “Upshot”, however, achieves just that (and will probably do so to anyone who watches it) through its uniqueness, intelligence and cinematic prowess, in one of the best films of the year so far.
