By Maryam AlAidaros
ABU DHABI — The story of “Endless Ache,” shown at ZUMEFF 2017, is that an old couple lives sadly every day. They have lost their only son when he was 17 years old. Thus, they suffer every day remembering their son. They see their neighbors happy with their grandchildren around them, which makes it harder for them.
The Lebanese film has some mystery that I had some questions in my mind when watching. It’s not in chronological order; it first shows their suffering, and then the reason for that suffering. I didn’t understand how the son died because the director, Jamale Abou Hamad, shows memories of the boy, but these are not happy memories. The boy didn’t treat his mom well, but she loved him, and the father regretted how he treated the son. This gives the film a level of emotional complexity.
The movie took longer than the other films shown in ZUMEFF. It was 18 minutes and 18 seconds. Most films this year were less than 12 minutes. I didn’t like that some scenes took a long time unnecessarily. However, the acting, the sound and lighting of the film were very good. It really showed the sadness and sufferings faced by the two old people living together.
The thought that the film leaves me with is to appreciate what I have, show love to my parents and obey them. Moreover, no matter what happens, we have to know that our parents care about us. I think the film is for everyone to watch, especially families, parents and children. I recommend people watch it.
Ms. Hamad is the director of the film. She’s Lebanese, studying at IESAV (Institut d’études Scéniques, Audiovisuelles et Cinématographques) of Saint Joseph University, which is a university in Beirut. Ms. Hamad is a singer and actress. She was born and raised in Beirut. She has worked on other films, including “The Rose House.”
Film at a glance:
Title: “Endless Ache”
Director: Jamale Abou Hamad
School: IESAV, St. Jospeh University, Beirut
Nation: Lebanon
Actors: Tony Mehana and Claude Baz
Genre: Narrative
Length: 18 minutes, 18 seconds
Language: Arabic
This story was originally published on May 9, 2017. It was re-uploaded on Jan. 1, 2021. The photo that accompanied this story was lost due to the loss of the domain name.
