Set of Experimental Short Films: Measures of Longing: Streaming

This set of experimental short films explores the connections between language, memory, and home. While inseparable elements for some, for others they pose the very obstacles preventing them from connecting to their identities. With this in mind, the filmmakers question how language shapes our memories of home and––inversely––how our recollections of the past are sculpted by the mother tongue we did (or did not) learn to speak. The films are poetic in form and content and take us on a journey from the coasts of Egypt to the water wheels of Hama, Syria to an abandoned family home in Baghdad. They beautifully weave images of texts, nature, cityscapes, and personal archives to convey a perpetual longing for a life that could have been.

About the filmmaker:

Randa Ali is a writer and director working between Los Angeles and Cairo. She is a 4th year MFA candidate at UCLA’s directing program, where she is a recipient of the Hani Farsi scholarship, a full-ride award to female filmmakers from the Arab world. Randa’s work often explores themes of alienation, defeat and the desire to connect in a continuously changing world. She is interested in telling stories of individuals through their relationship with their cities. In 2022, Randa was a recipient of the Delia Salvi Memorial Award for Directing the Actor. She is currently in post-production for her latest short film, Mango, and in development for her first feature film project, Gigi. In addition to making films, Randa was a journalist in Egypt for nearly 8 years.