Experiencing Interruptions?

On the Dry Bank of the River

During the war, the father dies, the rest of the family gathers. Three siblings, after years of separation, must deal with their fractured relationships and the death of the father.
Despite the difficult road to the distant village, the sister insists on carrying out their father's last will, while the older brother wrestles with his feelings towards the family, and the younger brother sinks into despair. As time passes and hope fades, they are confronted with 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
  • Yakob 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 Origin:
    Germany, Syrian Arab Republic
  • 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)
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Cairo International Film Festival
    Cairo
    Egypt
    November 16, 2024
    world premiere
  • Sehsüchte International Students Film Festival
    Potsdam
    Germany
    April 27, 2025
    German
    official competition
Distribution Information
  • Almourad Aldeeb
    Distributor
    Country: Germany
Director Biography - Almourad Aldeeb

Almourad Aldeeb is a Syrian filmmaker based in Germany, born and raised in Homs in 1991. Currently studying film at Academy of Media Arts Cologne. His practice seeks poetic and reflective expressions influenced by his experience of living through dictatorship, revolution, war, prison, and exile, focusing on narratives around memory and its crystallisation over time and spaces. Latest work "Flood" 2023.

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.