TWO MEN AND A THONG
In Bassma Nancy Farah’s 12-minute dark comedy short film, V’s Secret, the character of Adam (played by Maher Gamal) is a newly-wed twenty-something living with his wife in a Cairo apartment. Early in the film, his wife is away at work as he hangs the laundry while in-conversation with her. The relaxed beginning of the short takes a sharp turn when he accidentally drops his partner’s G-string on the balcony of the mean unapproachable older neighbor, Mr. Bassem (played by Ahmed El Banhawy), on the floor below him.
Mr. Bassem
With that as the inciting incident, we see a panicked Adam desperately try in vain to retrieve his wife’s undergarment. Inside his neighbor’s apartment, things take a turn for the dark with Adam’s paranoia getting the best of him.
The film’s tone interpolates between humour and suspense. It takes its audience through a neatly-choreographed, fast-paced escalation of events that drive the short linear plot to a truly unexpected ending that will leave viewers simultaneously amused, horrified and left with more questions than answers.
The central themes in this are the policing of sexuality and hypersexualization of femininity in, often male-dominated, conservative societies. Rapid cultural exchange and liberalization has in recent years been countered by a resurgence in the enactment of exclusionary and oppressive laws in many countries around the world today. The institution of repressive dress codes in some communities and cultures has been known to give rise to vices like slut-shaming and in extreme but not uncommon cases of harassment and violence, victim-blaming.
However, this film does not present the inquiries it is making as obviously as I am making them sound. It takes a much more whimsical approach. To provide some levity to the sensitive subject matter being explored in the film, the director employs dynamic hand-held camerawork punctuated by occasional zooms into a close-up at pivotal moments in the narrative to provide a mockumentary aesthetic to the fictional short. Bassma also incorporates elements of surrealism, an example being a scene where presenters on a television show in the story world break the fourth wall to directly address and mock the main character, further unnerving him.
While V’s Secret is certain to thrill its audience, the film also ends abruptly leaving a whole new conflict to resolve which may frustrate some. Regardless, the story serves as an entertaining vehicle for its heady themes. It also raises important questions around morality and societal norms and who gets to decide what should be deemed socially-acceptable.
Egyptian filmmaker Bassma Nancy Farah who started out as an art director in film and theatre before evolving into a multidisciplinary artist, wrote and directed the film. It was produced by the Jesuit Cairo Film School. Judging by this film, she is not just a talented storyteller but also a true visual artist with a unique cinematic style and vision.
Film Poster
Catch the film at the Durban International Film Festival: https://ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za/diff45/vs-secret/
Screening Schedule:
24 July 17:00 Suncoast 8
28 July 14:00 Suncoast 7
Author: Timothy Niwamanya
This review emanates from the Talent Press programme, an initiative of Talents Durban in collaboration with the Durban FilmMart Institute and FIPRESCI. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author (Timothy Niwamanya) and cannot be considered as constituting an official position of the organisers.
