Gum

Synopsis

A child with Down syndrome, falls in love for the first time in his life and begins a journey of new emotions he never knew existed, this forces him to make decisions he was not ready to take.

From Saudi Arabia, the short film Gum, written and directed by Belal Albader, portraits the eagerness to love of pre-teen children. In this case, the protagonist, Saad, has Down syndrome, which makes the story even more appealing. One of the great values of the movie is matching this characteristic with the general tone. Saad feels life with an open heart and so does Gum. It combines drama and comedy but with a tender touch.

The plot covers a couple of days in Saad’s routine. In the classroom, he is the last one to leave after the ring bells. After a regular school day, his mother picks him up. On the way out he falls immediately in love with a girl that is also leaving. He smiles to her and she smiles back. While his mother drives home, he stares through the window and imagines him and the girl going out together. He’s so fascinated with this feeling that during lunch he asks his parents how they met and got married. In his room, he dances alone with joy. Then he decides to approach the girl the next day, offering gum to her, a gesture he trains exhaustively at home.

Directed by

Belal Albader

Belal Albader

Written by

Cast

Azzam Ali Alkharaan, Ahmed Alturki, Anoud Abdullah, Rawan Altais

Belal Albader

When tomorrow comes, he goes after the girl. But, to his surprise, the girl has an identical twin sister! So, how can he know who is the one he fell in love with? Well, he paid so much attention to her that he noticed a small dot on her face, so he is able to discover who is the right girl. But Saad will face a tough disappointment and feel extremely upset. But, in depth, he is still a young boy living just one of the many experiences he will have with love.

The revelation that those girls are twins creates an unexpected comedic moment that fits adequately what seems to be the purpose of the movie, which is to depict someone with the special needs of Down syndrome as someone just like any of us. Therefore, he is subject to the drama of feeling not corresponded by someone you love, as well as the overwhelming feeling of being in love. As a result, the movie creates empathy with the viewer towards a character with universal emotions, and not someone with special needs, avoiding the uplifting stories that are so frequent in movies with such characters. It is realistic enough, though, to show Saad losing his temper after the rejection.

Gum displays a seasoned directing work by Belal Albader. Although this is his first short film, he has a solid career as a cinematographer. This expertise stands out throughout the movie.

In the first scene, Belal Albader slides the camera sideward to the left until it finds Saad, making it clear that he is the last one to leave the classroom - alone, which means that he is lonely. The meet cute moment is built with a classic slow motion to emphasize the exchange of glances between Saad and the girl he falls in love with.

The most magical scene in the movie brings some animated features. Drawn with infant lines, they illustrate the ingenuous expectations of the young boy falling in love for the first time. Alongside a gentle soundtrack music, these resources elevate the spirit of the audience. And not because the protagonist has Down syndrome, but for his innocence in a tender age facing a new sensation. This leads to the other side of the coin, in the second half of the movie, when Saad looks at the sky and the illustrations are no longer there, because he feels rejected by the girl.

Azzam Ali Alkharaan, the actor performing Saad, gives an extraordinary performance, so moving because he seems so authentic. Anoud Abdullah, in the role of the mother, is also outstanding, as she manifests a genuine affection with his son.

Belal Albader is able to tell this story in only 10 minutes, because he manages to communicate with conciseness. For instance, to show the time lapses after Saad arrives from school and is in his room, Albader uses a dissolve transition that ends with the character in other clothes. In the same way, the protagonist is standing up in each of the different doors or windows at his home, making it clear how anxious he is to meet the girl again and offer him gum.

In overall, Gum makes all the right moves. However, there are some few matters that could be better. One is when Saad falls to the ground after the meet cute and looks around and the school is empty, which seems artificial – it would be more believable to see some students leaving the school and not show that there is already nobody there. It doesn’t feel real due to the short time. Another one is the scene where the mother talks to the supervisor in the school. This is filmed from a too distant point, creating an obstacle to identify who is speaking. A closer shot would work better.

But it is a relief that Belal Albader trusts in the intelligence of the viewer. Therefore, he doesn’t fill his movie with unnecessary explanations. He knows that he can communicate visually, so he doesn’t need overexplaining. That is an additional reason why Gum has only 10 minutes yet tells a complete story. The ending reflects this characteristic and concludes in the right moment because the audience catches the message that a pre-teen boy or girl with Down syndrome is just pre-teen boy or girl when it comes to first love.

2024, Saudi Arabia, 10 min

Produced by

Belal Albader, Ahmad Naboulsi

Eduardo Kaneco

Film critic, the founder of Leitura Filmica