On the Dry Bank of the River

Stranded on a deserted road, after years apart three siblings must deal with their fractured relationships and the death of the father. While the siblings struggle to continue their trip, the sister insists on carrying out their father’s last will, the older brother wrestles with his feelings towards family, and the younger brother sinks into despair. As time passes and hope fades, they face difficult decisions.
This film is an exploration of family, loss, and the human spirit in the face of insurmountable odds.

  • Almourad Aldeeb
    Director
  • Almourad Aldeeb
    Writer
  • Almourad Aldeeb
    Producer
  • Fatina Laila
    Key Cast
  • Mohammad Dibo
    Key Cast
  • Wahid Albarzawi
    Key Cast
  • Jakob El Deeb
    Director Of Photography
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    جفاف - (Jafaaf)
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    23 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 EUR
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    Arabic
  • Shooting Format:
    16mm Film
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.66:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Academy of Media Arts Cologne (KHM)
  • Cairo International Film Festival
    Cairo
    Egypt
    November 16, 2024
    world premiere
Distribution Information
  • Almourad Aldeeb
    Distributor
    Country: Germany
Director Biography - Almourad Aldeeb

Almourad Aldeeb (he/him) is a Syrian filmmaker based in Germany. born and raised in Homs, Syria 1991. Currently, he is studying film at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, Germany. His practice is a search for a poetic and reflective expressions. based on personal experience, of living under Military dictatorship, an unsuccessful revolution, war, prison and exile, Almourad is trying to find a narrative focuses on the memory, and its crystallisation over time and over interactions with new spaces, while new memories are being created influenced by previous experiences.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

“Jafaaf” or “On the Dry Bank of the River” is my third project at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne (KHM). The dual title itself reflects the film’s themes of “there” and “here,” “then” and “now,” and the question of where I find myself within these shifting spaces.
The film centers on war and family, yet these themes are woven into my larger exploration of memory, which has been a core focus in my work across different genres, from documentary to experimental and fiction. In each of these projects, memory is not only a theme but a force, shaping how we experience life and form identity. This film delves into how memory is influenced by time and by interactions with new spaces, exploring how it continuously shapes our interests, personality, and sense of self.