Doha Film Institute
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When a Pakistani Santa's bike breaks down on Christmas day, he is forced to take a detour through the surreal Bahraini desert, racing against time to make his festive shift at the local hypermarket.
It's Christmas Day and Hamid is in trouble. His bike has broken down, and he's late for his shift, which is playing Santa Claus at the local hypermarket. Desperate to make it on time, he decides to take a detour through the desert. As he enters this liminal space of sun, sand and heat, a series of surreal obstacles appear in his path—a choir of snow angels, a fellow brown Santa, and a donkey cart that sounds eerily like a sleigh. Will he ultimately make it to the hypermarket on time? And more importantly, will he be able to receive the desert's message for him amid the chaos of Christmas Day?

Credits

Director
Maryam Mir
Screenwriter
Maryam Mir
Producer
Maryam Mir, Aya Hamdan
Cast
Hamza Haq - favoured. He is the lead in the NETFLIX MENA show, "Crashing Eid" about a Saudi woman who brings her Pakistani fiance home to visit her family. He is Pakistani and grew up in Kuwait. My mentor, Fawzia Mirza, is the Director of "Queen of my Dreams" (TIFF '23, BFI '23) and Hamza Haq is also the lead of that film. Once I secure production funding, I will approach him with the script and story. I have written this film for him in mind as the lead.

About the Director

Maryam Mir
Maryam Mir is a writer and director based between Brooklyn and Bahrain. Her narrative short ‘Sweet Refuge’ screened at over 45 festivals, won a Directors Guild of America Jury Award, and was acquired by AMC+. Her latest short, ‘Grandma Swim’, set in Bahrain, is currently in post-production with support from Doha Film Institute. She holds an MFA from the Graduate Film Program at NYU Tisch, where sh
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