Carnival City

Directed by

Wael Abumansour

Masoud (Mohammed Salama) sets out with Salma (Nada Almojadedi) on a journey with no destination and no plans to return. But when they break down in the desert, their adventure takes an unexpected turn. The mechanic Sufyan mysteriously disappears with the car and Masoud pursues, leaving Salma alone. Thus begins a voyage of self-discovery for Masoud. Alone in the wilderness, he must confront himself, a process that strips away old habits and beliefs as he begins to understand what is essential. The landscape becomes an interlocutor, expanding the psychological and social dimensions usually diminished by the noise of urban life. Within the liminal space of the desert, the values of the life Masoud has left behind are lain bare. Distorted by his immediate relationship to survival, the crisis of selfishness and consumerism that undermine his society becomes apparent. The film was supported in post-production by the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation’s “Bait Al Montage” Fund.