Maqluba
Directed by Mike Elsherif

This locally shot short film is centered on the relationship between a Palestinian-American grandmother and her granddaughter. Laila, a Palestinian-American drummer, visits her grandmother in her new apartment during a powerful storm under the guise of helping her unpack. But her nefarious goals slowly unfold as they delve deeper into the mystical fateful night.

They spend the evening together feasting on maqluba (a famous Palestinian dish layering vegetable, meat, and broth with rice, which is then dramatically flipped over to reveal the tasty entrée), reading Turkish coffee grounds, and coming to terms with past traumas.

The grandmother is played by the director’s mother and all crew on the film were local. The film was financed by Fund for the Art’s ArtsMatch and the Kentucky Arts Council and was also supported by the New Harmony Project, a writing nonprofit organization in Indiana.

2024, U.S., DCP, in English and Arabic with English subtitles, 28 minutes. Recommended for 14+.

Includes a post-screening conversation with the director/writer/producer Mike Elsherif and producer/cinematographer JohnBen Lacy.

Financial Support for the event is provided by the Fund for the Arts’ Community Event Mini-Grant