Doha Film Institute
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Matters of the Heart – Short Films Programme (15+)
Enjoy moving stories about the bonds that sustain us. ‘Matters of the Heart’ presents a cinematic exploration of relationships, capturing life’s most heartfelt moments with honesty and sensitivity.
Stationed at a remote border post, a young soldier grapples with eerie visions during his night shifts, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.
A young soldier stationed at a remote outpost in Northern Cyprus begins witnessing strange lights and mysterious occurrences during his night watch. As his sense of duty merges with paranoia, the soldier finds himself trapped between reality and hallucination. This visually striking short explores the psychological toll of isolation and the weight of unresolved history, blending the supernatural with the political realities of a divided land.

Credits

Director
Ali Cherri
Screenwriter
Ali Cherri
Producer
Leonardo Bigazzi, Alessandro Rabottini
Co-Producer
Janja Kralj
Cinematographer
Bassem Fayad
Editor
Denis Bedlow
Production Company
The Vega Foundation - KinoElektron (coproduction)
Sound
Stavros Terlikkas, Simon Apostolou
Composer
Cynthia Zaven
Other
Marios Neocleous (Art Director)
Cast
Halil Ersev Gökçek

About the Director

Ali Cherri
Ali Cherri, born in Beirut and based in Paris, is a multidisciplinary visual artist and filmmaker. His works, often blending video, film, sculpture, and installation, explore the construction of historical narratives. Ali won the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2022 for his installation ‘Of Men and Gods and Mud’. His films, including ‘The Digger’ (2015) and ‘The Dam’ (2022), have screened at