Do you really want to live forever?, asks Fawaz Al-Matrouk’s philosophical sci-fi short
Is life still complete without death? What place has religious faith in a world of ever-growing scientific knowledge? What makes a person human? What does “human” mean in a future where technology and the individual are merged? These are some of the complicated questions of Fawaz Al-Matrouk’s spiritual short film Anwar. The plot is structured in three chapters and unfolds in an unspecific future. Here humans can live eternally, safe from old age, diseases and injuries. Mona (Kerry Bishé) once became one of these “ever people”. Her partner decided to remain mortal and passed away. Now their son Anwar has to make his choice.
Mona wants him to become an ever person. Years later Anwar, now a young man (Saif Haj), still rejects eternal life. His beliefs living forever is a sin and one has to die to go to heaven. Sentimental sweetness and brooding gloom make for an uneven atmosphere. The range of existential questions weights heavy on the simple storyline. As often the case with science fiction, the premise is much more intriguing than the plot. In the last few years, a number of films speculated how mankind would deal with dwindling resources. In Plan 75, The Assessment and Can I Get A Witness? either old people or children paid the price.
Writer-director Al-Matrouk turns these premises around. Lush nature settings suggest the environment has recovered from humans. Within his serene scenario, becoming an ever-person is the norm. At least in the posh microcosm of the main character. While he grows old, his mother remains physically unchanged. But does this make his life richer? Or her existence easier? There are no answers. Much about the whole “ever” concept remains unclear. When 8-year-old Anwar (Leo Etemadi) feels Mona’s (Kerry Bishé) heartbeat, she points out: “My heart beats just for you”. This layered sentence could mean Mona’s dedication to Anwar or that she is a robot created to care for him.
The 19-minutes runtime is too limited to let the characters grow. Timely issues such as religious obscurantism, gender antagonism and enforced life-prolongation just linger in the background. There are some worthwhile ideas here, but they are hardly new or particularly original. Still, it would be interesting to know more about this ever society. Maybe Al-Matrouk should follow the example of his protagonist: take a little more time to see where this story goes.
- OT: Anwar
- Director: Fawaz Al-Matrouk
- Screenplay: Fawaz Al-Matrouk
- Year: 2025
- Distribution | Production ©
