Behind Closed Doors
Spring Grants 2018 - Development Stage
Hend Fakhroo / Feature Narrative / Qatar / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Family, Women Issues, Psychological Drama
Synopsis
Six-year-old Leila and her mother, Sara, have a close relationship. They live a comfortable life in Qatar with Ali, Leila’s father and Sara’s husband. One morning, Ali and Leila wake up to find Sara gone. Ali does his best to reassure his daughter, even though he’s deeply concerned at his wife’s abrupt disappearance. Ali soon realises that he needs help taking care of Leila, and calls upon his mother, Mariam, to move in. It’s apparent that Mariam and Sara had a broken relationship, and she now revels in the idea of being the family saviour. She takes over, and the small family soon starts to settle into a routine.
Leila becomes ill one day and has to be taken to the hospital—she’s discharged and recovering at home when suddenly her mother returns. The family is shocked by Sara’s reappearance, and Ali tries to find out where she has been. Mariam is concerned about Sara’s capacity to take care of Leila, and how her troubled mother’s mysterious disappearance and return might affect the young child. Sara finally reveals she has only returned to take Leila and leave, but Ali and Mariam will do everything in their power to stop her.
Credits
- Director
- Hend Fakhroo
- Screenwriter
- Hend Fakhroo
About the Director
Hend Fakhroo is a Qatari writer and director. Hend graduated with honours in 2005 from St Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. She directed her first short ‘His Name’ in 2012 and her second ‘The Waiting Room’ in 2016. Both have done well on the festival circuit. Hend has been developing her first feature, ‘Behind Closed Doors’, for three years and has participated in the Hezayah writing lab with screen doctor Antoine LeBos.