Hidden horrors brought to light

A short film bringing alive the unspoken agonies of domestic violence, by Bahraini director Maryam Abdulghaffar, has won global recognition at the Tyre International Film Festival, shining a bright spotlight on heroes who support survivors of the crime and push for change.
Filmed in the kingdom, Bidaya Alnihaya ('Beginning of the End') won for Best Cinematography at the award ceremony staged in Tyre city, Lebanon last month.
The 33-minute Arabic documentary with English subtitles, that creatively weaves in dramatised re-enactments, is based on real stories. Maryam spoke to Bahrain-based professionals Dr Huda Almahmeed, who works with a local shelter, Dr Tareeq Almadawy, a psychiatrist who helps individuals coping with trauma, and lawyer Zahraa Fardaan, all of who shared stories from their practice, while ensuring confidentiality and ethical care.
Bidaya Alnihaya was a finalist at the Rome Prisma Film Awards in May and won the best documentary award at the Love Peace and Freedom Film Festival in Mexico in March.
'The film was driven by the realisation that domestic violence, while deeply prevalent, often remains hidden in silence, especially in the Middle East,' Maryam told GulfWeekly.
'The lack of open conversations and safe spaces for survivors inspired me to explore this subject with empathy and purpose,' the 35-year-old filmmaker and cinematographer added.
'I felt a responsibility as a filmmaker to shed light on what many endure behind closed doors, and to help create a bridge between pain and hope.
'The idea wasn't just to expose the issue, but to show the resilience and strength of those who support survivors and push for change.'
Before filming, the Hamad Town resident spent six months researching international documentaries on the subject, a step she believes was essential in shaping a distinct visual and narrative language that would resonate within the region.
'The visual contrast of a documentary and dramatised re-enactments became a clear stylistic decision early on: the interviews were shot in a talking heads format to establish a sense of authenticity and trust, while the re-enactments were designed with a more cinematic, narrative look to immerse the viewer emotionally and visually,' she said, explaining her creative process.
'I used professional cinema gear to enhance the storytelling, allowing light, shadow and composition to subtly communicate what words often couldn't.'
As is common with art based on topics like domestic violence, one of the biggest challenges was maintaining ethical sensitivity throughout the film – portraying trauma without overwhelming the viewer or compromising dignity.
'Not being able to feature actual survivors made the storytelling more complex, but it also pushed me to be more creative and intentional with the cinematography,' she noted.
The production involved a crew of around 20 individuals, spanning Bahraini, Saudi and Indian nationals, and from development to final cut, the film took around a year to complete.
'I'm very grateful to our producer Fahad Alqahtani, whose belief in the message and the need for awareness made this film possible,' Maryam said.
'We are currently submitting the film to more festivals around the world. My goal for 2025 is to expand this conversation – to reach more people, empower more survivors and continue creating films that give voice to the unheard.
'At the heart of Bidaya Alnihaya is a message of resilience: that healing is possible, and that even in the darkest moments, there is always hope.'

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