Debut: ‘Faraway’ Aziz Zoromba’s Powerful Documentary Short Wins Vimeo 2022 Best Of The Year Award
Director and writer Azis Zoromba’s Faraway is a powerful and dynamic documentary following a young Arab man attempting to reconnect with his mom after being estranged from his family due to his sexuality. The documentary primarily follows Omar over a year in Montreal as he navigates his day-to-day life.
Zoromba’s 20-minute documentary begins in the fall with the recorded voiceover of a conversation between Omar and his friend regarding a difficult phone call he had with his grandfather. We then see Omar spending the day with a supportive friend, and during this conversation, the audience gets a feel for the film’s theme. He discusses how difficult it has been without seeing his family for so long and shares his hurt feelings about being ostracized over his homosexuality. The time jumps to the winter, and we hear another recorded phone conversation between Omar and his sister discussing his family’s disagreement with him dying his hair blonde. The film does an excellent job of balancing these heavyhearted conversation scenes with footage of Omar in the city having a good time and receiving support from his friends. In the documentary’s ending scenes, the audience witnesses Omar’s beautiful and heartfelt moment as he reconnects with his mom during a phone call. The final scene is the only close-up shot of Omar in the film. The single closeup shot allows the viewer to connect to the powerful and intimate conversation between mother and son and the mixture of emotions the protagonist is feeling at the time.
Faraway uses recordings of Omar’s conversations with family and friends as a tool to drive the narrative. The filmmaker’s unconventional method of not including any interviews or narration context makes the film stand out to those more familiar with the traditional documentary format. The use of telephoto lenses for the long shots accomplishes Zormoba’s goal of putting a psychic distance between the viewer and Omar. Being intentionally kept at a distance (or far away, as the title suggests) allows the viewer to see a more genuine and natural portrayal of Omar during a difficult time. The film’s story is moving as it explores the bond between family members and reconnecting. Anyone who has ever felt their identity at odds with their community heritage will be able to relate.
Faraway has been featured and recognized in numerous film competitions since its release and has won at the Rabat International Author Film Festival and Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival. Vimeo viewers can have an interactive viewing experience with the commentary version of the film with Zoromba and Omar available and read the statement written for the film.
Zoromba is a Canadian-Egyptian filmmaker based in Québec, Canada. His films explore the themes of cultural identity, coming of age, and first-generation culture. The filmmaker’s newest short film, Simo, is currently making the rounds at the film festival circuit, being featured recently at Sundance and winning the IMDBpro Short Cuts prize.
