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IMDbPro

Searching Skies

  • 20172017
  • 8m
YOUR RATING
Searching Skies (2017)
  • Short
  • Drama
When a Syrian refugee family is invited to a Christian family's house for Christmas dinner, they are caught between opposing viewpoints for and against their presence -- until an unexpected ... Read allWhen a Syrian refugee family is invited to a Christian family's house for Christmas dinner, they are caught between opposing viewpoints for and against their presence -- until an unexpected event suddenly occurs.When a Syrian refugee family is invited to a Christian family's house for Christmas dinner, they are caught between opposing viewpoints for and against their presence -- until an unexpected event suddenly occurs.
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Vee Hua
  • Writer
    • Vee Hua
  • Stars
    • Nour Bitar
    • Leya Daoud
    • Tanner Gould
Top credits
  • Director
    • Vee Hua
  • Writer
    • Vee Hua
  • Stars
    • Nour Bitar
    • Leya Daoud
    • Tanner Gould
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos21

    Searching Skies (2017)
    Susan Kohler and Elizabeth Southard in Searching Skies (2017)
    Searching Skies (2017)
    Max Thayer and Tanner Gould in Searching Skies (2017)
    Yuriy Chichkov in Searching Skies (2017)
    Searching Skies (2017)
    Max Thayer and Tanner Gould in Searching Skies (2017)
    Searching Skies (2017)
    Searching Skies (2017)
    Yuriy Chichkov in Searching Skies (2017)
    Khaled Al Maleh in Searching Skies (2017)
    Searching Skies (2017)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Nour Bitar
    Nour Bitar
    • Amiraas Amira
    • (as Nour M. Bitar)
    Leya Daoud
    • Fatimaas Fatima
    Tanner Gould
    • Derekas Derek
    Susan Kohler
    Susan Kohler
    • Ingridas Ingrid
    Khaled Al Maleh
    • Hamzaas Hamza
    Elizabeth Southard
    Elizabeth Southard
    • Anneas Anne
    Maxou Susini
    • Fathias Fathi
    Max Thayer
    Max Thayer
    • Billas Bill
    • Director
      • Vee Hua
    • Writer
      • Vee Hua
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    User reviews1

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    A solidly-acted, socially aware, effectively-executed short film
    I saw Vivian Hua's debut short at the Seventh Art Stand, a film festival intended to raise awareness about Islamophobia, and it genuinely stood out. Social-issue films sometimes over-emphasize their message at the expense of engaging viewers emotionally and cinematically. Searching Skies works because it finds a core of universality in its subject matter, and Hua delivers the film with considerable confidence and craftsmanship.

    It's Christmas time, and a well-intended couple hosts a family of Syrian immigrants for a holiday dinner. Friction occurs when the prejudices of the couple's college-age nephew Derek begin surging to the surface. Soon things come to a head with Derek and his uncle, until an unexpected incident opens the young man's eyes.

    Some nuance is sacrificed to keep things concise (this is a nine-minute short film, after all), but Hua's cast really hits all the right notes, especially Tanner Gould as Derek. His character's xenophobia is frustrating, but Gould does a great job of making him a human being. Kudos also to Hua's script, which gives voice to Derek's (and by extent a fair share of the audience's) fears and concerns without turning him into a monster. And no spoilers here, but the film's final denouement really packs an emotional punch.
    helpful•0
    0
    • tkandis-13072
    • Aug 28, 2017

    Details

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    • Release date
      • May 10, 2017 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Arabic
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $13,500 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      8 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White

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