The Dream Room
The film was screened on loop at OCAD U's Experimental Media Space, adjacent to The Artifact Room.
The Rod and The Ring, 2024
Video, 8’50 min
Numinous symbols are perennial forms that have a sublime effect on the viewer. One such symbol is the rod and ring, which appears in ancient Mesopotamian art across millennia. From cylinder seals to wall reliefs, it is a mysterious object exclusively held by divine beings and scholars are still debating what it could mean. This oneiric film is a dreamscape that explores its timeless symbolism and how it could manifest in the future.
"The Rod and the Ring" was filmed in three governorates across Iraq - specifically Baghdad, Samaraa' and the Marshes in the south - with an all Iraqi cast and crew. Additional filming took place in Toronto.
Credits
Director, Editor, Score
Hala Alsalman
Actors
Orus M. Castaño-Suárez
Raquel Mendes
Zaera Fatima
Zahraa Ghandour
Mohanad Hayal
Huda Al- Obeidi
Production Iraq
Mohammad Al-Obaidi – Producer
Mohanad Alsudani – Cinematographer
Ali Mohammad - Camera Assistant
Salah Mahdi Awaja – Production Assistant
Zahraa Al-Hajj Ali – Production Assistant
Production Toronto
Ramzi Marouf - Cinematographer
Lion Sher – Camera Assistant
Sarah Delaney - Wardrobe
Special Effects
Mohammed Alzaidi