Love & Revenge غرام وانتقام

Love & Revenge, a docu-fiction. The characters of Doody and Ansam, Salem's niece and sister, respectively, portray fictionalized versions of themselves, young women navigating contemporary Saudi Arabian society. The film captures staged scenes of their private moments, public appearances, and performances, serving as a cathartic journey from the actual event that happened to Doody over publishing a photo -–causing mass bullying on social media and government accusation— by censoring and blurring the boundaries between reality, the digital realm and fiction. In the fiction, Doody frequently escapes into an avatar created through an Instagram filter, gradually immersing herself in this alternative reality. The incarnation serves both as a veil through which to break free from social conventions (as in Saudi Arabia, images and representations were prohibited until the 1990s) and as a potential trap, given the loss of control over image diffusion in today's era of rapid connectivity. 


Salem combines sequences filmed with an iPhone, webcam footage, screenshots, memes, and Skype calls with instant messages and notifications, challenging the conventions of traditional filmmaking. By quoting texts such as Doody’s poem “Absolute Narcissism نرجسية بحتة”, lines from Chris Marker’s film “Level Five 1997”, and Shūji Terayama’s “Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets 1971”, the film attempts to overcome a certain duality of tradition and innovation. These diverse forms of imagery raise awareness about how individuals are represented and perceived in a world where the digital realm is just as significant as reality. The film is an ongoing poetic tribute made to/with Doody, who passed away after its release, and published her last words on the IG account of the film @livingthefirelife_000zg.