Since 2005, the Mobile Film Festival has been celebrating new film talents via its international competition. The rules are simple: make a one-minute, mobile-shot film on a topic specified by MFF. This year the entries had to dramatize women’s empowerment. Sixty films from 25 countries were selected for the competition, which is sponsored by BNP Paribas, UN Women, and Youtube. The Best Director Award went to Iranian filmmaker Farideh Naderi for “The Wall.” The action focuses on volleyball. But —spoiler alert—the game is played in a way we’ve never seen before. 

Thoughts About “The Wall”

“If you have a message, call Western Union.” While historians dispute who said that line, the advice is worth considering. Almost every memorable film does include a lesson or a caution. But audiences generally don’t enjoy being lectured to. People come to the movies to be entertained. The art is hiding the message without diminishing it.

“The Wall” shows us how this can be done. The opening half of  the movie treats the volleyball game as if it’s the main attraction. The action is fast and intense. There are dramatic close-ups and intriguing sounds. The shot of a man looking out the window reinforces the idea that we’re spectators at a highly competitive contest. Only then, in the last few seconds, does the director treat us to the women’s empowerment message.The truth—that women can play the game and that they are essential— is delivered as a delightful surprise, one that we can think about long after the movie has ended.

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The editors of MobileMovieMaking have chosen “The Wall” as the Mobile Movie of the Week.

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