Basma al-Sharif’s sensorial film Morning Circle traces the intimate and political contours of exile and colonial morality. Following a father and son through the quiet rhythms of early morning, the film gradually reveals the weight of separation and displacement, as well as the subtle violences of assimilation. A father speaks to his child in Arabic while responding in Armenian to questions posed by an unseen German authority, embodying the tensions of belonging and estrangement. Built as a choreography of three circles unfolding in the home, playground, and kindergarten, the film explores how domestic rituals, tender exchanges, and institutional routines carry the burden of history. Ordinary gestures of care become acts of reflection and quiet resistance, showing how childhood itself is entangled with questions of survival, identity, and belonging. (ME)
You can learn more about the filmmaking process of Basma Al-Sharif, which will be participating in the Roundtable | From the Personal to the Collective: Filmmaking as Reflection.
Presented with the support of Goethe-Institut Montreal
Quebec Premiere
competition : National Short and Medium-Length Competition
Morning Circle
- Country : Canada, United Arab Emirates
- Year : 2025
- V.O : Arabic, Armenian, German
- Subtitles : English
- Duration : 20 MIN
- Cinematography : Simon Veroneg
- Editing : Juna Suleiman
- Music : Maurice Louca
- Music : Benhayyi Al-Baghbaghan
- Sound Design : Federico Chiari
We Began By Measuring Distance (2009)
The Story of Milk and Honey (2011)
Home Movies Gaza (2013)
Ouroboros (2017)
Capital (2023)
TIFF-Toronto International Film Festival (Wavelengths) | BFI London Film Festival | New York Film Festival | Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur
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