ARALKUM

A desert landscape, as if from another planet. A few lonely, rusty shipwrecks. Low desert scrub grows around them to hold the sand together during the merciless storms. Aralkum, the Aral Desert, is the bare seabed, the last thing left of the Aral Sea.
By weaving together different cinematic textures, the short film Aralkum re-imagines the dried-up Aral Sea, allowing an old fisherman to set sail one last time.

Directors: Daniel Asadi Faezi, Mila Zhluktenko
Uzbekistan, 2022
13:40 min | trailer

Mila Zhluktenko:
Born 1991 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Studied in the Documentary Department at University of Television and Film, Munich.
Her films have been screened at numerous filmfestivals including IDFA, Visions du Réel, Camerimage and MoMA, winning multiple awards. Her last shortfilm „Opera Glasses“ won the GOLDEN DOVE award at DOK.Leipzig and made it to the semi-finals of the Student Academy Award.

Daniel Asadi Faezi
Born 1993 in Germany.
Studied in the Documentary Department at University of Television and Film, Munich and National College of Arts Lahore, Pakistan. Besides directing he produces documentary and experimental cinema. His films screened at numerous filmfestivals including Locarno, DOK Leipzig, Visions du Réel and Ann Arbor. He is a Berlinale Talents alumni.

Director of Aralkum (2022)

REFLECTIONS ON LIFE

Movies



  • CALCUTTA 8:40 AM

    Once more, Yann is about to leave Calcutta, returning to Paris. He has just dropped off his son with his mother and has one night to wander the streets of the city where he will only be able to come back in a few months....

  • BLESSING IN DISGUISE

    Kevin Hines hears voices due to auditory hallucinations that one day order him to end his life. A hand-drawn documentary about one of the few people to survive a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge....

  • MOTHER’S MILK

    After the recent death of her mother, Dragica is now the only person working on her small family farm in western Serbia. Over one hot summer day, she battles with the burden of legacy and the responsibility of being a provider to many....

  • THE DEBUTANTE

    A spirited young woman persuades a hyena from London Zoo to take her place at a dinner dance held in her honour. Their plan requires a surprising amount of artistry and violence. Based on a story by artist Leonora Carrington, Elizabeth Hobbs celebrates her startling tale with paint and collage....

  • OCEAN

    Elisha travels to visit Hillel, who has established a unique community in the heart of the desert. It soon becomes clear that the two share a common past from which they cannot escape. A short Israeli drama film starring Adam Gabay & Or Ben-Melech ("Our boys", HBO)....

  • ARALKUM

    A desert landscape, as if from another planet. A few lonely, rusty shipwrecks. Low desert scrub grows around them to hold the sand together during the merciless storms. Aralkum, the Aral Desert, is the bare seabed, the last thing left of the Aral Sea. By weaving together different cinematic textures, the short film Aralkum re-imagines the dried-up Aral Sea, allowing an old fisherman to set sail one last time. ...

  • KOLAJ

    Identity, how it's formed, and how to deal with the collage it's made of....

  • HAPPY NEW YEAR, JIM

    It's New Year's Eve. Jim and Morten are playing videogames all night long, like every day. But Morten tonight is uncomfortable. ...