Sweat Rain (2017)
The idea of representations, of self and Other, has always been a concern in Arab cinema. That is where Sweat rain, an intriguing film directed by Hakim Belabbes, comes in. Empathic as it is the film opens with M'barek's struggle with drought and the eventual threat of foreclosure. The events of the story unfold with a delicate touch on the misfortunes undermining the poor farmer's household.
The journey of M'barek seemingly forms the narrative line; when, however, the film comes above ground to illustrate the character of Ayoub, an adolescent with Down syndrome, an overture to a new narrative is presented. Note that this is a core element in the formal structure of the film. Clearly, it breaks the conventional flow of dialogue and offers to depict Ayoub's gestures and probe his mind and emotions, knowing that actions say what words do not. More importantly, it characterizes the community's treatment of disability.
In tackling his subject matter, Hakim showcases the originality and complexity of this piece by downplaying the formal patterning, and establishing his own voice or form of expression. Stylistic devices, like the recurrent use of close-up shots wedded to long duration in screen time, have the benefit of allowing meditation, probing and absorbing every detail of the shots. True that slow pace is so tricky, given that wide shots with lots of visual information generally need to be on screen for longer, whereas audiences of Sweat Rain conversely linger on close-ups. It pays off, though.
One of the merits of Sweat Rain is manifested in the complexity of its formal structure. The film features more than one narrative line. As the story progresses, the juxtaposition of the shots seamlessly creates a non-linear narrative structure, which is vivid and genuinely engaging. Also the meticulous use of music can't go unnoticed. Music, supposedly supportive, is hardly heard throughout the film. Hakim's deliberate elimination of distractors, eventually offers ample chance to listen to natural sounds which evoke M'barek's attachment to his plot of land.
Abdel Hamouchi.
