Fate and reality share one thing in common, and it’s that they won’t always present themselves the way you expect them to.
This premise introduced us into the story of Mohammed Eihdih in The Time After the Rain (Júlia Girós, Nina Solà , Pol Picas; 2022). This documentary observes the daily life of the natives of Sahara, or the Sahrawi people, at Boujdour camp, which is one of the Sahrawi refugee camps located in the borders of Morocco and Algeria. Precisely, it’s located on the hammada, which is commonly known as a vast desert plain of the Sahara desert.
The people there have always built their houses with mud bricks as it never rains in the desert, which is barren and always under the heat of the scorching sun. But since the houses are made of mud bricks, they would often melt and dissolve along with the rain whenever periodical heavy rainfalls sweep in over the desert, and gradually disintegrate.
The Time After the Rain (2023) documented the lives of the men in the camp, who are at different stages in their lives. The first to be documented is Mohammed’s grandfather, who is blind and would often reminisce the past life he’s lived, followed by Mohammed’s little nephew, who would run around and play near rubbles and construction sites, then Mohammed Eihdih himself, who grew up in Seville and decided to reside a bit longer at Boujdour camp. His daily activity consists of re-building his house from leftover rubbles of brick, bit by bit. Since the camp is in a secluded area miles away from town, it renders a lot of things. One of them is the incoming supply of bricks that are used to build houses.
Everyone in The Time After the Rain (2023) tried their best in giving one another a sense of normalcy in their lives amidst their harsh reality and rough geographical conditions. During these trying times, It’s important to remember the gift of patience and gratitude in the face of each and every trials & tribulations we endure. Mohammed is an example that a person should keep going and sacrifice for the sake of their family despite the inevitable turmoils in life and the continuous cycle of life.
The Time After the Rain (2023) is selected in International Feature-Length Competition Festival Film Dokumenter 2023. (Ahmad Radhitya Alam) (Vanis/Adinta)
Film DetailsÂ
The Time After the Rain (El Tiempo Después de la Lluvia)
Júlia Girós, Nina Solà , Pol Picas | 74 Min | 2022 | Spain | Color | 17+
Screening Schedule
12.05 | Gedung ex Bioskop Permata | 13.00 WIB
12.07 | Auditorium IFI-LIP | 13.00 WIB
