Stray Sheep (2018)

Directed by: Madja Amin | 13 minutes | short film, drama | Actors: Slimane Dazi, Nabil Kechouhen

In the opening shot of the short film ‘Stray Sheep’ (Madja Amin), the viewer floats beautifully with the camera through the cloud cover. A dream flight that you hope will last forever. But peace does not have an infinite shelf life. Soon an ominous murmur sets in, which ends in a deafening blow.

The next shot takes the viewer back to Earth. A boy is lying in the grass. The look in his eyes reveals that he too has just pulled out of a beautiful dream. But then reality takes over. He looks around searchingly, but doesn’t seem to see what he needs to find. It is his hearing that lends a helping hand. In the background is the sound of an animal. The boy rushes to the source of the noise and finds a lonely suitcase there. The moment he opens the suitcase, he heaves a sigh of relief. His companion is rightly so: an innocent looking lamb.

Recovered from the shock, the two continue on their way. On to their common destiny: the end of their freedom. The boy is about to be married off, his companion will serve as a sacrifice during the wedding party. Escaping the inevitability of the future seems impossible. With his dreamy character, the boy still tries to make something of his free life. The tantalizing cinematography of ‘Stray Sheep’ conforms to that spirit. The game with focus, the daring camera angles and the surreal ending all contribute to a beautifully symbolic film, which makes one taste like more work by director Amin.