CLOSE YOUR EYES HIND

Amir Zaza |
Netherlands |
2025 |
30Min |
Arabic
Amid the war in Gaza, Hind Rajab (6) and her family are desperately trying to escape to safety. To momentarily forget the danger, they dance in the car to music. Their attempt to flee is cut short when an Israeli tank opens fire without warning. Only Hind and her 14-year-old cousin survive the initial attack. Trapped inside the car, the girls struggle to hold on. They comfort each other by speaking of a future that feels increasingly distant. They remain in contact with emergency services, who promise to rescue them once the military gives permission. What began as a search for safety ends in a tragedy that exposes the brutal heart of the war.
Amir Zaza
Amir Zaza, Abdulrahman Abdulfattah, Frederike Scheffer, Awad Joumaa
Tonko Bossen
Amir Zaza
Patil Akkad, Sundus Al Bashash, Sara Alestwani

Screenings

1 Aug 12:00 Suncoast 5

Amir Zaza

Amir is a Syrian-Dutch producer, screenwriter and director whose journey began in the vibrant suburbs of Damascus and led him to the Netherlands where he found a new home after fleeing the war in his country. A 2022 graduate of the Netherlands Film Academy in Amsterdam, his graduation film It Will Rain earned a place among the finalists of the 2023 Student Academy Awards and won the Best Graduation Film Award from the Netherlands Film Academy. Since then, Amir has brought his visual storytelling to television directing acclaimed commercials in the Netherlands. His campaign calling for a ceasefire in Gaza was honored with a Gold Lamp at the Dutch Creativity Awards.

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