Things my Ego would Hate to Hear

A short film made to address the ego (nafs), which is arrogant, lazy, impatient, passive, pessimistic, hypocritical, addicted to praise, and worships this world. Through this, it aims to explore the concept of jihad (struggle) within Islam: usually people associate it with warfare, but it's more to do with struggling with your own
ego (ego/nafs) to become the best version of yourself.

The film is inspired by the Qur'an and the two following tafsirs (commentary of the Quran): the Risale-i Nur Collection (Treatises of Light) by Said Nursi and Iḥiyāʾ ʿulūm ad-dīn (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) by Al-Ghazali.

  • Maira Nguyen
    Director
  • Maira Nguyen
    Writer
  • Maira Nguyen
    Producer
  • Sumaiya Shah
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 43 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 29, 2017
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digitak
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • The Mosquers Film Festival
    Edmonton
    Canada
    October 26, 2018
    Official selection at the Mosquers Film Festival (2018)
  • The Muslim Film Festival
    Perth
    Australia
    November 26, 2019
Director Biography - Maira Nguyen

Mai(ra) Nguyen is a freelance writer, videographer and photographer. She has produced online content for various media organisations, including Australian Broadcast Corporation, Special Broadcast Corporation, Human Rights Arts and Film Festival and Meld Magazine.

Her debut short film Nur (2014) won the second prize at Mokhtar Fim Festival 2014 and was shortlisted for Victoria Multicultural Commission Festival 2017. Her second short film Things my ego would hate to hear (2017) was shortlisted for the Mosquers Film Festival 2018 in Canada. In 2019, she wad one of the 9 emerging screenwriters selected for the Social Cohesion on Screen Fellowship program, an initiative supported by the Victorian Government to address how screen stories can impact social change.

Maira graduated from the University of Melbourne with Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Media and Communications & History. Storytelling is her biggest passion, and she hopes to use her skills and knowledge to tell stories of people whose voices are often misrepresented or ignored.

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