Award-winning short animated Qatari film “Hope,” written and directed by Abdulla Al Janahi can now be streamed on YouTube.
The film was funded by the Doha Film Institute in 2019 which is a recipient of its Spring Grants.
“Hope” is a story about a sea turtle named Aqua who was born with the disability of having one fin smaller than the other, but he doesn’t let it get in the way of his life’s journey from nest to sea—one fraught with dangerous predators and tragic pollution.
The endearingly humorous animation hides a more profound message of perseverance and the importance of being environmentally conscious.
The nine-minute 2020 animated film received ten international awards which include Ajyal Film Festival 2020, Winner; Best Animation Winner at Los Angeles Film Awards in 2021; Under Oniros Film Awards in New York – Award Winner for Best Director and Best Drama; Fear No Film 2021, Best Kids! Short; Indie Shorts Fest 2021, Award Winner; 34 Girona Film Festival 2021, Winner; Top Shorts Film Festival 2021, Best Animation; BlackCat Film Festival 2021, Winner; and Asia South East-Short Film Festival 2022, Gold Medal Winner. Overall, the award has been selected to 19 film festivals. The production company behind the film is GreenTree Production which was founded in 2019 by Al Janahi and Abdulaziz Khashabi.
Abdulla Al Janahi is a Qatari filmmaker with a passion for making a difference through his unique work. He has written several scripts for feature and short films and has worked on a traditional Qatari series. Al Janahi was also the producer of the short film “The Unlucky Hamster,” which won the Made in Qatar Special Jury Award at the Ajyal Film Festival 2019.
Several netizens meanwhile expressed their joy watching the “Hope” short film on YouTube. Christine who watched it with her two-year old son said she was touched by the story’s message.
“I shed a tear after watching the short film because believe it or not, these things are happening to our environment. And we should act and take care of the nature.”
Saeed who came to know about the film on the institute’s Instagram page said he and his nieces were happy as they play it on their TV. “My nieces were focused as to the film, they felt sad for a while especially on the last part, and also became aware of the environment’s condition these days, especially with the looming of climate change.”