The Painting of Paruresis

The daily grind of a dejected button-factory worker unveils his struggle and inability to urinate without looking at a particular painting — a tangible metaphor for shy bladder syndrome — until one day, he loses it.

Paruresis (shy bladder syndrome, a type of phobia in which a person is unable to urinate in the real or imagined presence of others)

  • Jehad N. Al-Khateeb
    Director
    A Town Called Theocracy, Cold Chalk
  • Jehad N. Al-Khateeb
    Writer
    Slick Jimmy’s incident
  • Ece Yazıcıgil
    Producer
    Yad, Russell's
  • Mostafa Al Sakka
    Key Cast
    "Jim"
    Where Do We Go Now?
  • Burak Bekircan
    Cinematographer
    Sacrifice, Bir Dünya Yasam
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    لوحة باروريسيس
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Dark comedy
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 27, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    65,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Saudi Arabia
  • Country of Filming:
    Türkiye
  • Language:
    No Dialogue
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Jehad N. Al-Khateeb

Jehad N. Al-Khateeb is an award-winning Saudi writer and director whose cinematic journey began in Damascus in 2008. Following the regional instability in 2012, Jehad relocated to New Mexico, USA, to formalize his film education, graduating in 2015. Over the following years, he built a diverse portfolio, earning over 30 international festival selections for acclaimed shorts. Since returning to Saudi Arabia in 2018, Jehad has transitioned into various creative and production roles within the local media landscape. He is currently in post-production on his latest independent short film, The Painting of Paruresis (2026).

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Director Statement

Living with paruresis inspired me to make my invisible struggle visible. By portraying a character dependent on a specific painting—an object easily lost or misplaced—to perform something as ordinary as urinating, these visual and physical stakes allow the audience to feel the anxiety and vulnerability of the condition.