SFIFF: Seeds Of Doubt
"Papa, are you a terrorist?"
We spent several very fun, yet dark weeks in Hamburg, Germany (when you don’t get up before noon in December there, you don’t see much light) with a friend who grew up there years ago. Watching the dim, gray aerial views and port scenes of what we found to be an ultimately beautiful city in the Hitchcockian style, Seeds of Doubt brought us back to those days. However, what followed was an unmistakable reminder that things have changed in Hamburg, as they have many places, in a post-9/11 world. We didn’t really know what to expect going into the film, whose German title Folgeschaden, we’ve been told translates into "damaging after-effects."
The film showcases a young couple, presumably in their thirties, who’ve seemingly already acknowledged and encountered the issues inherent in sharing their lives with someone of a different ethnicity and religion. When Tariq is suspected of being a "sleeper" in a Hamburg terrorism cell, it becomes apparent that the couple only touched the surface of the difficulties their relationship will face in the days to come. It is clear that Maya and Tariq have discussed issues relating to their young son and his religious upbringing, but not much more.
SFist Wendy, contributing.
We found that there were many elements of Seeds of Doubt that anyone who’s been in a relationship, presumably a challenged relationship, could relate to. It was painful to watch Maya and Tariq’s relationship unravel before our eyes. We wanted to lock the two of them in a room and force them to talk about what was happening. The film did an excellent job of demonstrating the consequential damage wrought by misunderstandings and a failure to communicate. But, there was so much more. . . .
Director, Samir Nasr, shared during the post-film Q&A that the inspiration for the film came from the experiences of many mixed couples living in Germany post-9/11, especially those comprised of German women and Muslim men. “Seeds of Doubt” was actually shown there on German television.
The lead actor from Seeds of Doubt, Mehdi Nebbou, also stars in a similar film, Sleeper. Seeds of Doubt shows again on Wednesday 5/3 at 4:30 p.m. at the Kabuki.