THE FUSE

There isn’t an iota of artificiality in Ashgan El-Hamus’ impressive debut “Al Baraneya,” not an easy accomplishment given that it’s fiction looking like a documentary, with a cast almost exclusively composed of relatives. The format translates to an energized intimacy, enhanced by months of workshopping the story together with the one professional actor, Reem Amer, seamlessly inserted in the family bosom. El-Hamus’ achievement however goes beyond method thanks to a story told through moods and textures, of a young pregnant woman in the Egyptian village of Al Baraneya beginning to question the life she’s had plotted out for her. This is the kind of film that seems small only at first glance, building in impact as it plays out, lingering long after the close with images and sounds of the laughter that comes from togetherness.