Slam

Ricky, a young Australian of Palestinian descent, leads a quiet life in the suburbs of Sydney. When his sister Ameena, a committed slam poet, disappears without a trace after a performance, his life is turned upside down. In a climate of mistrust and racism, Ameena is quickly suspected of having joined the “Islamic State” in Syria. The media demands that Ricky publicly distance himself from his sister. Partho Sen-Gupta's film SLAM premiered in competition at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in 2018 and was later screened at festivals such as the Sydney Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival. The film was praised for its powerful portrayal of racism and media hysteria. The poetry in the film is by Australian spoken word artist Candy Royalle, whose lyrics give Ameena's voice a powerful presence. With a running time of 115 minutes, SLAM offers a compelling insight into the effects of prejudice and the search for truth in a polarized society.

Keywords

  • Arab Spring
  • Arthouse
  • Arthouse Highlights
  • Politics: Human Rights
  • Sooner Exclusives
  • Sooner Exclusives: Stories that Matter
  • civil society
  • identity
  • media
  • religion

Actors

  • Adam Bakri
  • Rachael Blake
  • Rebecca Breeds
  • Darina Al Joundi
  • Danielle Horvat

Director

  • Partho Sen-Gupta

Drama


1h 55min


16

EN


DE

ES

SV

PT

EN

IT

PL

Australia
France
2018
In a climate of mistrust and racism, the disappearance of a young woman promotes wild speculation and racist suspicions.

In a climate of mistrust and racism, the disappearance of a young woman promotes wild speculation and racist suspicions.


Ricky, a young Australian of Palestinian descent, leads a quiet life in the suburbs of Sydney. When his sister Ameena, a committed slam poet, disappears without a trace after a performance, his life is turned upside down. In a climate of mistrust and racism, Ameena is quickly suspected of having joined the “Islamic State” in Syria. The media demands that Ricky publicly distance himself from his sister.


Partho Sen-Gupta's film SLAM premiered in competition at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in 2018 and was later screened at festivals such as the Sydney Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival. The film was praised for its powerful portrayal of racism and media hysteria.


The poetry in the film is by Australian spoken word artist Candy Royalle, whose lyrics give Ameena's voice a powerful presence. With a running time of 115 minutes, SLAM offers a compelling insight into the effects of prejudice and the search for truth in a polarized society.

Cast & Crew