Two Captains Sink The Ship (2023)
Three-channel video, 5:27min.
An old Kuwaiti proverb known in many seafaring communities states that if more than one captain attempts to lead a ship, they’ll lead the crew to their deaths. In this installation, Alghanim uses digitized archival footage captured by Kuwait’s national television station from 1961 to 1979, along with her own recently captured video, to explore her community’s collaboration with the sea. The material travels across the multiple screens to create a visual poem that establishes the emotional context for historical narratives and brings archival engagement into a new framework.
Archival material provided by the Ministry of Information - State of Kuwait
Sound design by Aron Seels Marquez
THE SOURCE (المصدر) is an immersive documentary project that reconsiders preconceived perceptions of tradition, form, time, memory, feeling, community and hope in an inclusive and collective future.
Through this exhibition, Alghanim reshapes archival footage captured by Kuwait’s national television station between the years of 1961 and 1989 to subvert Khaleeji nostalgia. Encompassing two pieces, Trace (أثر), a collection of five silk-screen prints on 16mm film, and Influence (تأثير), a three-channel digital video installation, this exhibition brings the iconic imagery within the archives into a new material context and future. The Source dissolves the boundaries between reality and dreams, progression and regression, conscious and subconscious, and offers alternatives to our current interactions with history and understandings of belonging and longing.
Developed and exhibited during the Masaha Residency at the Misk Art Institute. Source material provided by the Ministry of Information - State of Kuwait.
Million Dollar Pigeons (2022) - 90min
dir. Gavin Fitzgerald 2nd unit dir. (Kuwait Unit) Haya Alghanim
Pigeon masters from far and wide compete in the most lucrative pigeon races on the planet; reputation, livelihood and more are put on the wings of these feathered athletes.
Official Selections: Hot Docs (2022), IDFA (2022), True/False Film Festival (2022)
An Evening with Laila (2021) - 10min
dir. and prod. Haya Alghanim
A short documentary about the life and true story of Laila Abdulaziz, a pioneer of music in the Arabian Gulf and staple of Kuwaiti history who had a vision for the future that no one was ready for, not even herself.
Official Selections:
Columbia University Film Festival (2021), Malmö Arab Film Festival (2021), Arab Film Festival - Arab American National Museum (2021), Arab Film Festival - Arab Film and Media Institute (2021), Sharjah Film Platform (2021), Al Ain Film Festival (2022), Dance Camera West (2022), Alexandria Short Film Festival (2022), LatinArab International Film Festival (2022), Oaxaca FilmFest (2022), Toronto Arab Film Festival (2022), On Art Film Festival (2022), CineMAS - Manarat Al Saadiyat (2022), Arab Film Festival Zurich (2022), St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival (2022), Silk Road International Film Festival (2022), Saudi Film Festival (2023), Edinburgh Short Film Festival (2023), Bahrain Film Festival (2023).
Winner: Audience Award - Columbia University Film Festival, Best International Documentary - Alexandria Short Film Festival.
Distributed by MAD Solutions (MENA).
Labor Day (2021) - 10min
dir. Haya Alghanim prod. Adriana Pettinga
When Dina is invited to spend Labor Day weekend on a trip to the Hudson Valley with a new group of friends, she slowly realizes these women aren’t what they seem to be.
Official Selections:
Tallahassee Film Festival (2021), Hobnobben Film Festival (2021), Urban Film Festival (2021), New York Shorts (2021), YoFiFest - Yonkers Film Festival (2021), Key West Film Festival (2021).
Same, Old. (2018) - 7min
dir. Haya Alghanim prod. Claire Brooks
Same, Old. is a short narrative film about a young woman who runs into an ex-best friend at the corner store.
Official Selections:
Urbanworld Film Festival (2018), Citizen Jane Film Festival (2018), Arab Film Festival - Arab American National Museum (2019), Al Ain Film Festival (2020), Outfest Fusion (2020), DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival (2021).
by the medina, for the medina (2016) - 12min
dir. and dp Haya Alghanim
by the medina, for the medina is a short documentary on the music and musicians of the old medina of Tetouan, Morocco, focusing on the group of musicians known as Harmonic Fusion led by Abdulrahman El Khamal.
Official Selections:
Kuwait Film Festival (2017), Arab Film Festival - Arab Film and Media Institute (2017), Adana International Film Festival (2017), Arab Film Awards (2017), Women of the World Film Fair Middle East (2018).
Winner: Bronze Sidra for Best Documentary Short - Kuwait Film Festival
Distributed by New York University for educational use.
Amo (2016) - 4min
dir. and dp Haya Alghanim
Amo is a short cinema-verite inspired documentary film about a Syrian grocer in Downtown Brooklyn, shot on 16mm.
Official Selections:
Art of Brooklyn Film Festival (2017), Bushwick Film Festival (2017), New York Indie Doc Fest (2017), Lublin Film Festival (2017), Shasha Movies (2020).
The Creative Process (2015-2017)
dir. Haya Alghanim
The Creative Process is a series of short documentaries on the four-year collaboration between The New School and I Have A Dream Foundation in a joint program on theater and education.
Commissioned by Cecilia Rubino for the years of 2014, 2015 and 2016.
