Experiencing Interruptions?

J'ai Le Cafard (Bint Werdan)

A woman in a downhearted mood struggles to keep up appearances in front of her chirpy and driven office colleagues. An encounter with a dying cockroach in the office toilet develops into an absurd friendship, becoming the comforting companionship she needs until she realizes its destructive effects on her life.

  • Maysaa Almumin
    Director
  • Maysaa Almumin
    Writer
  • Almumin, Maysaa
    Producer
  • Eiman Mirghani
    Producer
  • Enas Elfallal
    Key Cast
    "The Woman"
  • Mostafa Sheshtawy
    Director of Photography
    Certified Mail, Ext.Night.
  • Severin Favriau
    Music
    Raw, La Belle Epoque, A Prayer Before Dawn
  • Emeline Aldeguer
    Sound Design
  • Ahmed Saad Eldeen
    Art Director
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    بنت وردان
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 15, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    35,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Kuwait
  • Country of Filming:
    Egypt
  • Language:
    Arabic
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Malmo Arab Film Festival
    Malmo
    Sweden
    October 10, 2020
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Ajyal Film Festival
    Doha
    Qatar
    November 20, 2020
    Home Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Tampere International Film Festival
    Tampere
    Finland
    March 10, 2021
    Finnish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Mosters- Taranto horror Film Festival
    Taranto
    Italy
    March 19, 2021
    Italian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Cinefantasy International Film Festival
    Sao Paolo
    Brazil
    April 16, 2021
    South American Premiere
    Honourable Mention
  • Reel Sisters of the Diaspora
    New York
    United States
    October 23, 2021
    Invited Film
  • Fantafestival
    Rome
    Italy
    June 2, 2021
    Rome
    Official Selection
  • Ismailia International Film Festival
    Ismailia
    Egypt
    June 18, 2021
    Egypt
    Official Selection
  • Durban International Film Festival
    Durban
    South Africa
    July 22, 2021
    Africa
    Official Selection
  • Macabro: Mexico City International Horror Film Festival
    Mexico City
    Mexico
    August 19, 2021
    North America
    Official Selection
  • Santorini International film Festival
    Santorini
    Greece
    August 12, 2021
    Greece
    Official Selection
  • Horrible Imaginings Film Festival
    California
    United States
    September 3, 2021
    USA
    Official Selection
  • Nashville Film Festival
    Tenessee
    United States
    September 30, 2021
    South Eastern America
    Official Selection
  • Imagine Science Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    October 1, 2021
    New York
    Official Selection
  • Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival
    Malllorca
    Spain
    October 27, 2021
    Spanish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • MOLINS HORROR FILM FESTIVAL
    Barcelona
    Spain
    October 28, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Maskoon International Fantastic Film Festival
    Beirut
    Lebanon
    November 8, 2021
    Lebanon
    Official Selection
  • 33 Girona Film Festival
    Girona
    Spain
    November 9, 2021
    Official Selection
  • South African Horrorfest
    Cape Town
    South Africa
    October 28, 2021
  • Shorts That Are Not Pants
    Toronto
    Canada
    November 19, 2021
    Canada
    Official Selection
  • ÉCU - The European Independent Film Festival
    Paris
    France
    April 8, 2022
    France Premiere
    Official Selection
  • NOX FILM FEST
    Salto
    Uruguay
    January 12, 2022
    Uruguay premiere
    Special Mention
  • Beirut Womens Film Festival
    Beirut
    Lebanon
    March 6, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Madeira Fantastic FilmFest
    Madeira
    Portugal
    March 15, 2022
    Portuguese premiere
    Best Actress
  • Cleveland International Film Festival
    Cleveland
    United States
    March 30, 2022
    Ohio premiere
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • MAD Solutions
    Distributor
    Country: Kuwait
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Algeria
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Djibouti
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Bahrain
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Iraq
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Jordan
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Egypt
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Lebanon
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Saudi Arabia
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: United Arab Emirates
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Tunisia
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Morocco
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Oman
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Libya
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Mauritania
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Sudan
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Comoros
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: South Sudan
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Somalia
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Palestine, State of
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Yemen
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Qatar
    Rights: All Rights
  • Raina Film Distribution
    Distributor
    Country: Finland
Director Biography - Maysaa Almumin

Maysaa Almumin, Kuwaiti, is currently living and working as an Assistant Professor in design in Qatar. She grew up in London where she was trained and practiced in architecture after which she moved to Kuwait and then Qatar where she started, acting and scriptwriting and eventually filmmaking. She has had acting training with directors/ filmmakers/academics Scandar Copti and Daniel Suissa and has been involved in film projects in Kuwait, Italy, Egypt and Qatar. J'ai le Cafard was a recipient of production grants by The Arab Fund for Art and Culture (AFAC) and the Doha Film Institute.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

At one point in my life I had nothing to complain about. I had a wonderful husband, great children, a fantastic career, everything I could ever want and need, yet still, for two years I endured sleepless nights, low energy, lack of self-worth and self-loathing. When a doctor diagnosed me with clinical depression, it was a profound moment of realization for me of something that I was unable to recognize.

With the false general impression that depression is only triggered by tragic events, it becomes hard for some to understand that seemingly picture-perfect lives may hide depression, so much so that even the one that suffers depression may equally be as dismissive of all the symptoms they feel. Furthermore, many have become so adept at coping with struggle they become incapable of identifying it and therefore unable to address it.

This film is about that moment of realization, refusing to accept a giant emotional intruder in one's life, taking off that shoe and having a go at getting it out of your life by giving it a wack!

J'ai le Cafard is a French expression, it translates as 'I have the cockroach' and means I am depressed.