Jamal
2018 · 10m · United Kingdom
Directed by Raza Tariq
Genres: coming-of-age, drama
Tones: contemplative, tender
British-Asian teen Jamal goes on a night out with his friends expecting the usual, but the night forces him to question his identity.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Coming-of-age British-Asian identity crisis is exactly the kind of consensus-friendly premise that puts me to sleep—and yet Tariq seems to be resisting the obvious emotional beats, which is the only thing keeping me even slightly curious.
A formally accomplished chamber piece that understands the lineage of the intimate coming-of-age drama; the restraint and tonal control suggest a filmmaker conscious of how much weight a single night can bear in narrative tradition.
The genius here is the decision to keep the camera close and still during the moments of rupture—letting the performance and the silence do the identity work rather than reaching for visual flourish on a modest budget.