Synopsis

During their stay in Beijing, two Uyghur girls attempt to navigate reality through their fantasies. Drinking, dancing, binge-watching classic rom-coms—these activities help them forget the cruelness of the world. Just when they're searching for the meaning of love, they meet an angel in their dreams, but the rendezvous doesn't go as expected.

Curators’ note

Beijing is a city defined by geometry, history, and an enchanting touch of magic. It’s a place where one can easily find themselves—or just as easily become lost—an “ying yang” duality that mirrors the journey of the two protagonists in Ada. Director Pahriya Ghalip crafts a compelling, all-female narrative brought to life through the lens of her original visual style. The film offers a unique perspective on the lives of two Uyghur girls navigating the metropolis of Beijing, weaving together surreal encounters with angels, love gurus, their deepest fears, and uncertainties, alongside their genuine pursuit of human connection. Sisterhood is the red thread running through Ada — a word that, in the Uyghur language, means precisely friendship. (Siria Falleroni)

Director’s bio

When familiarity becomes strange, when the language becomes strange, when the loved ones become strange, when men become strange … Pahriya is interested in translating these alienated experiences into audio-visual works and using filmmaking as a healing method.  Over the past years she has been working mainly in documentary, video art, and Music Video. Ada, her first short fiction film, was selected for the Rebels section of the 2024 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

Director‘s statement

We want to make a ‘happy’film, where uyghur women, minority women, or women who’re marginalized don’t need to victimize themselves, and still keep the ability to have fun, and love as a resistance to oppression.

Festival & Awards

Shortlisted at Tallinn Black Nights film festival Rebel with a Cause competition

Casts

Effy , Nefise

Credits