“A Pair of Sandal” at Naples Human Rights Film Fest

Freelance journalist and independent filmmaker Josim Ahmed's short documentary “A Pair of Sandal” has been selected at the ninth edition of the Festival del cinema dei Diritti Umani di Napoli (Naples Human Rights Film Festival) to be held next month in Naples, Italy. 

The documentary, shot on iPhone, was inspired by a striking image that also gives the four-minute film its title. Josim Ahmed tells The Daily Star: “We have been planning and doing groundwork for a full-length documentary on the Rohingya crisis for about a year, and we were just scouting locations and taking pictures for documentation in late August when the latest Rohingya exodus had begun. I saw a little child holding up a pair of sandals towards the sky, and it struck me as very allegorical. So my friend and I decided to shoot some footage with our iPhones, and put them together to show the plight of these ill-fated people, particularly the children.” 

Acclaimed sound engineer Ripon Nath has provided the background scores and designed the sound for the short and Farid Ahmed is credited as writer. It has no voiceovers or interviews, just some striking footage put together with open captions. 

The film was submitted to the Naples Film Festival committee after the deadline, but the organisers were impressed enough with the film to waive the deadline for the film. It will now compete at the documentary short competition of the festival. The film has also been submitted to the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and is awaiting the final selection. 

Josim Ahmed's short film “Daag” premiered earlier this year at the short film corner of the Cannes Film Festival.