The present is a reflection of the past and a precursor to the future, an endless loop where time folds back into itself. This cyclical notion of existence is vividly embodied in Palestinian director Maha Haj’s film Upshot, a poignant exploration of the unending cycle of suffering and resilience that defines the Palestinian experience that has won prestigious awards such as the Pardino d’Oro Swiss Life for Best Auteur Short Film and the Junior Jury Award at the 77th Locarno International Film Festival. Written in June 2023, just months before the latest catastrophic events in Gaza, Upshot is a profound comment on the nature of human endurance.

The film eerily captures the essence of the unfolding tragedy, offering a compelling portrait of Palestinian life caught in a relentless loop of loss and despair that mirrors the current suffering in Gaza with a haunting prescience. The narrative unfolds over approximately 35 minutes, presenting a dystopian vision of reality that feels both timeless and immediate.

Upshot tells the story of Suleiman and Lubna who, after enduring a profound loss, withdraw to a secluded farm where they devote themselves to their crops and engage in intense discussions about the paths their five children have taken. This, they do until a stranger appears, bringing with them a devastating truth.

The director describes Upshot as a futuristic film, though it has little in common with typical cinematic visions of the future. Maha Haj envisions a dystopian reality in which a man and a woman exist in a state outside time and place, isolated from the world. They are immersed in conversations about unseen people, recounting events and stories about what happens to those figures without any concrete evidence of their existence. Their daily lives unfold in a seemingly ideal, automatic rhythm, yet, over time, it becomes clear that their world is nothing more than a fragile bubble of defence mechanisms.

The film presents those two individuals as secluded within what initially appears to be a dark green paradise. However, this paradise is, in reality, a prison of sadness, deprivation, forced loss, and helplessness. Their isolation is complete until someone appears on the horizon, attempting to pierce this paradisiacal illusion. And, confronted with the harsh truth, the two elderly characters desperately try to draw this outsider into their bubble.

This world without time or geography is more than just a way around a direct political message; it’s an integral part of her method of engaging the viewer in dismantling reality. By stripping away anything that might tether her characters to a specific world, Haj removes potential preconceptions. In Upshot, she carefully erases all markers of identity, presenting the protagonists as two solitary, grieving figures like an elderly Adam and Eve mourning the loss of everyone around them while pretending that nothing has changed.

This deliberate abstraction invites viewers to connect with the film on a primal level, drawing them into a world that, while simple in its appearance, taps into the deep, universal emotions that resonate with all humans. Anyone who encounters this primitive, almost mythic, painting of two people grappling with profound loss can’t help but feel a primitive sense of belonging to the world Haj has crafted.

The director, who also wrote the film, demonstrates remarkable creativity in selecting the filming location, a lush, green expanse filled with trees, at the centre of which stands an isolated house resembling a hut in the middle of a forest. The interior of this house, with all its intricate details, evokes a deceptive warmth or perhaps the warmth longed for by two lonely hearts submerged in sorrow.

Maha Haj’s experience as a set designer, having worked with iconic Arab directors like Elia Suleiman and Ziad Douairi, clearly informs her crafting an environment that subtly reflects the emotional state of her characters. Through the meticulous details of the set, Haj creates an idealised world that stands in stark contrast to the protective bubble surrounding the characters and the inner turmoil silently consuming them.

The casting in a film that hinges on dialogue, particularly dialogue that is not what it appears to be, is flawlessly executed. The talented Mohamed Bakri as Suleiman, Areen Omari as Lubna, and Amer Hlehel as the mysterious visitor each bring a nuanced depth to their roles. Bakri and Omari seamlessly become an organic part of the isolated world depicted in the film, managing their dialogue with a finesse that subtly conveys an underlying sense of profound discomfort, even as their words flow smoothly.

Their performances are further elevated by their extraordinarily sensitive body language, which hints at an impending eruption of emotions. Despite the fluidity and adaptability of their interactions, there is a palpable sense of emptiness and weight hanging over them, making the tension almost tangible.

In an interview with the Locarno Festival channel, Maha Haj offered insight into her approach, describing her film as “a very minimalistic film; it does not shout, it does not scream in your face. It tells the story of the beauty of the human mind, after all, the way they keep their lost loved ones alive through their stories. This, I think, is the aim of any form of art: storytelling.”

As Haj elaborates on the storytelling within Upshot, she touches on the characters’ attempt to reconstruct their reality through imagination. “Through the alchemy of storytelling, Suleiman and Lubna conjure a parallel reality free of the pain in which their lives unfold in vivid detail,” she says, highlighting the fragile sanctuary they have created for themselves.

Set against the ongoing strife in Gaza, Upshot emerges as both a lament and a testament to human resilience. Haj emphasises that, “in a world defined by suffering, Suleiman and Lubna’s journey is a poignant reminder of the boundless resilience of the human imagination.” The film, set in a future marred by decades of conflict, confronts the harsh realities of loss and the absence of political solutions. “There are no easy answers, no political solutions to assuage the anguish of parents who have lost everything,” Haj remarks, conveying the enduring impact of such tragedy. Upshot unfolds in a realm unbound by time or place, offering “a poignant reflection of the irreparable loss that defies earthly confines.”

Upshot continues Maha Haj’s cinematic journey, extending the themes of memory and loss prevalent in her previous works: Oranges (2009), Behind These Walls (2010), Personal Affairs (2016), and Mediterranean Fever (2022). Each film builds on the last, weaving a tapestry of personal and collective struggle that transcends time and place, revealing the enduring strength of the human spirit amidst ongoing conflict. In Oranges, the protagonist’s return to his family home is a reflection on displacement and identity, themes that resonate throughout her work. Personal Affairs extends this exploration, focusing on a Palestinian family’s internal conflicts amidst political turmoil. With Behind These Walls, Haj delves into the harsh realities of life under occupation, further emphasising the interplay of personal and political dimensions. Mediterranean Fever brings a deeply introspective look to existential despair and isolation, tying together the threads of personal suffering and the search for meaning in a world marked by ongoing conflict. Each film enriches the narrative of human resilience and the impact of socio-political realities on individual lives.

Maha Haj made her directorial debut in 2009 with the short film Oranges, which won the Audience Award at the Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival. She followed this with the evocative documentary Behind These Walls in 2010. Her first feature film, Personal Affairs (2016), garnered critical acclaim, earning a spot in Cannes’ prestigious Un Certain Regard selection, along with the Archie Award for Best First Feature at the Philadelphia Film Festival and the Critics’ Award at Montpellier.Her film, Mediterranean Fever, premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard, where it won Best Screenplay.

The film then embarked on a successful festival circuit, screening at Rotterdam, Palm Springs, Chicago, Vancouver, and Melbourne. It also received the Student Jury Prize at Tokyo FILMex and a Golden Firebird for Young Cinema at the Hong Kong Film Festival. Maha Haj, who wrote all her films, is a filmmaker with a rich background in both English and Arabic literature, bringing her deep literary insight to every frame.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 29 August, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly