At Aesthetica Short Film Festival this year there was a category that really stood out – documentary. An area of filmmaking fast becoming one of the most innovative and engaging in the medium. One film in particular stood out for us, and that was Fadi Hindash’s ‘Mama Agatha’ – a simple but beautiful portrait of a woman helping others.
SYNOPSIS: Once a week, a group of migrant women in Amsterdam learn how to ride a bicycle. Inspiring them to let go of the fear and get behind the wheels is a Ghanaian community mother named Mama Agatha.
What is most striking about the film, besides it being beautifully shot and full to the brim with life, is the character of Mama Agatha herself. Her vulnerability and pain, hidden behind her selfless actions. A woman who has dedicated her life to community, seeking no reward. We get used to documentary being about politics, handled like a thriller and usually about revealing secrets, even simply about passing on information, we sometimes forget that they can be more profound by focussing on the everyday. This was one of the best short films I saw this year and I encourage all to check it out.
Director’s statement – “While having coffee at a friend’s place, I noticed a group of Moroccan women learning how to cycle down in the park. Being an Arab who recently moved to Amsterdam, I was immediately struck with how much that image said about integration and in such a light and humorous way. I quickly began researching the topic until I reached one particular cycling class for migrant women in Amsterdam Southeast that was run by a non-Dutch woman who came to the Netherlands 30 years ago and knows exactly what the women in her class struggle with. The more time I spent with Mama Agatha, the more I learned about the pain that drives her passion to help others. That’s when the heart of the film started to appear.”
We look forward to seeing more from Fadi in the future. For more information on Fadi and ‘The Sound of Applause’ team, please visit theirwebsite.
So that’s it for for 2015! If you know of anyone whose work you believe needs a larger audience, or you’re a director, actor or producer looking to showcase your work, who would like to be considered for 2016’s Artist of the Month Posts, please email contact@quandaryproductions.com
