Writer-director Shahad Ameen makes stylish impact with her debut feature, a timeless magical realist fable with a contemporary feminist message. In a superstitious fishing village, chauvinistic tradition dictates that each family must sacrifice a baby daughter to the mermaid-like monsters that lurk in the surrounding ocean. When young Hayat is saved by her father, her survival brings shame to her family and a curse on the entire village. In Arabic with English subtitles. Director Shahad Ameen (Saudi Arabia 2019) 74 min.

EXTRA CONTENT: A special pre-recorded conversation with director Shahad Ameen