Menha

Layal, 32 years old, breaks her mother’s favorite pot and it’s up to her to find a replacement and gain her mother’s forgiveness.

  • Habiba Ferkh
    Director
  • Habiba Ferkh
    Writer
  • Habiba Ferkh
    Producer
  • Soha Abouzeid
    Producer
  • Ban Majed
    Key Cast
    "Layal"
  • Rania Mroueh
    Key Cast
    "Layal's Mother"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    منها
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 53 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 15, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    1,950 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Lebanon
  • Country of Filming:
    Lebanon
  • Language:
    Arabic
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Lebanese University Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture
Director Biography - Habiba Ferkh

I am an aspiring filmmaker based in Beirut, Lebanon with a BA in Cinema and Tv from the Lebanese University. My experience in filmmaking varies between directing, editing, cinematography, and sound design.

My work is more centered around documentaries since I find them able to capture true emotional states in a more faithful way than narrative films. I wanted my first narrative film to be as honest and real as it can be to its source which was a great challenge but I'm glad to be able to present it as it is.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This film is the result of a question I didn't realize I was asking myself until I saw that I was at a crossroad in my life. I was in a state of crippling fear and anxiety, and it felt as if I had to hide my identity from the ones I love to guarantee that I still have them around. Am I disappointing them by not showing them who I really am? Do I have to lose them in order for me to be honest with them?

This film is about me being afraid of running out of time before I get an answer; its about me feeling that I already have. The troubled relationship between the characters in the film is a representation of how damaging we become when we reject parts of ourselves and project them onto others.