Salam (2018) User Reviews

Salam

[tbstevenson · 10/10 · 4 September 2018]

Salam is a young Palestinian woman living with her family in Brooklyn. Her life is complicated because she has family in Syria. Her brother calls to tell her a relative was seriously injured in a bombing. A take-charge woman, she has previously captured a mouse in her brother's apartment, she needs a way to cope with her anxiety. So, while she waits for news, she spends the night making some money as a Lyft driver in Brooklyn. She picks up Audrey, a young woman who seems to have her own issues. In distress she reveals her prejudices about immigrants and especially Muslims. Because Audrey has no real destination, Salam stops at a café and the two talk. Audrey decides to go to her mother's home out of town but as they approach her hometown, she changes her mind and return to Brooklyn. Claire Fowler's short film immediately draws in viewers. Salam is presented as a real multidimensional woman far removed from facile stereotypes. Fine performances by Hana Chamoun and Leslie Bibb add to the immediacy of the story. When the film ends, the audience wants to know more.

Salam Short Film - Review by Elia Short Films Festival

[eliafilmfestival · 9/10 · 24 August 2018]

Salam Short Film

Directed by Claire Fowler

Starring Leslie Bibb, Hana Chamoun, Jessica Damouni, Julie Baroody, Khaled Al Maleh, Dean Masoud

Short Film Review by Elia Short Films Festival

Only the wait of the unknown can make those who are absent seem present. But what if the absent from here becomes really absent from now? One phone call was all it takes to make a shift in Salam's (Hana Chamoun) life. She is a taxi driver living with her brother, his wife, and children in Brooklyn, the aftermath of the circumstances in Syria forced her to find a new home away from her parents and husband Mousa. The story begins on one of salam's night shifts, a call from her brother informs her that her husband Mousa suffered a dangerous head injury due to bombing in Syria, and asking her to return home and await further news. However, Salam chooses to work instead as a distraction from her worried thoughts, she receives an order from Audrey (Leslie Bibb) and agrees since she needs the money to support her family, Audrey seems distressed as Salam, so they bond over coffee, and Odrey decides to return to her mother's house, on the way Odrey receives a call and decides to return to Brooklyn, Meanwhile Salam receives a call reassuring her about those who are absent yet present. It's fair to say that (Claire Fowler) succeeded in creating "Salam" as a Strong, yet weak, quite and soothing main character. Her expressive use of colors and lighting to represent Salam's emotional state, projecting on to the viewer the difficulty of waiting and the state of those who wait. A beautifully woven fabric of camera, lighting, production design and editing, that Fowler professionally and masterly produced.

Great short film

[johanner-56395 · 9/10 · 31 January 2019]

Salam is a great short film with two strong female characters! Good story, great actors and strong cinematography. Highly recommended.

Claire Fowler's SALAM: An Intriguing Short Film Gem

[hello-65279 · 10/10 · 12 October 2018]

SALAM is a beautifully crafted short film that illustrates the contrasting lives of two women in modern-day America. Living in the Bronx and supporting herself and her family as a Lyft driver, Salam is a Palestinian-born, independent, working woman whose parents and husband are still living in war-torn Syria. While awaiting news about her husband after a bombing, Salam picks up a fare who is about her age -- a glamorous, young Manhattanite originally from upstate New York, who appears to be of affluent means but trapped in a possibly abusive marriage. In just 13 minutes, Director Claire Fowler draws the viewer into the worlds of these two women with a succinct yet intriguing story that transcends stereotypes, cliches, and judgment. In addition to Fowler's exquisite screenplay and exceptional directorial skills, the acting performances are outstanding. The characters and their lives (both what we see onscreen and what we don't see) stay with the viewer long after the film is over.

Salam 2018 Short Film

[morpurgonicole · 10/10 · 28 March 2021]

In the bustling City that never sleeps we zoom into the character of Salam, a young women who spends her nights earning money as a Lyft driver. The viewer is drawn into Salam's unfolding story by the immersive city lights and cinematography that mirror her moods. A beautiful and poetic snippet of life that dives deep into the noisy silence of anticipation and dread marked by the phone call Salam receives from her brother informing her about her husbands bomb attack incident in Syria. The confrontation with the West world that feels so entitled and free and looks at the East as oppressed. A cup of coffee and some sober conversation unveils a deeper connection that already exists between the two worlds that coexist as opposites but in reality form two sides of the same coin. Claire's (writer/director) characters leave you wanting more.

A fantastic, beautiful film.

[info-78184 · 9/10 · 3 August 2020]

This was a beautiful film. The main actress did a fantastic job in her role. The technical aspects (cinematography, production value, music, direction, etc.) were also very good. Overall, a great film.

An honest lens

[elizabethtomasetti · 10/10 · 22 July 2019]

A thoughtful and powerfully acted film. Claire Fowler successfully communicates vulnerability and strength through the universal language of humanity.

A moving & thoughtful short

[filmfestdc · 9/10 · 14 September 2018]

Salam is a moving story that delves into the short-lived yet profound connection between two women with vasty different backgrounds who both happen to be in the midst of their own crises. The film depicts a beautifully nuanced portrayal of a muslim immigrant rarely seen in American media. Although brief, the depth of the encounter speaks on the universality of fear and love.

One of the best short films I've seen this year

[larry-411 · 10/10 · 18 February 2019]

The U.S. is truly a nation of immigrants, and nowhere is this more apparent than New York City, where Salam is a Lyft driver with a complicated family situation. With the perfect balance of humor and humanity, Claire Fowler's Salam turns conventions on its head and opens our eyes in the most unexpected ways. As secrets are slowly revealed we find ourselves questioning assumptions at every turn. This powerful and poignant film touches on everything from discrimination to bullying to politics. Stellar production values help make Salam one of the best short films I've seen this year. You will not walk away unaffected.

Great Short Film

[m-orth · 10/10 · 13 January 2019]

Salam is a great short with two fantastic actresses. Two worlds bounce on each other. The end stands for more understanding...

A poignant short film

[TheNewtownTheatre · 10/10 · 10 October 2018]

Salam deftly portrays the emotional journey of two women in crisis. Against the backdrop of modern-day New York, the film depicts a Muslim family-and a young Palestinian-Syrian woman-with a subtlety and nuance rarely seen in Western media. This is a can't-miss short film that demonstrates what ties us all together in an age when Western leadership is bent on noting what separates us.

The war of Syria with different eyes.

[info-59653-88723 · 10/10 · 5 September 2018]

This incredible short film brings us closer to the reality of Salam a taxi driver of Syrian origin isolated in the United States and who looks for the best for her family. One day she receives a call informing her that her husband was reached by the bulge in Syria. It is when we see how difficult it is for an immigrant like Salam to make the best decision for his life. Great war drama.

Clever

[raffaella-traniello · 9/10 · 18 March 2019]

In a quiet atmosphere the description of the characters unfolds. The film presents two different point of views, two different approaches to life, two different depths of souls, with poetry and empathy. Superb acting, great photography, with interesting use of lights in the city night.

Wonderful movie

[samawacinema · 9/10 · 17 January 2019]

Wonderful movie .. carries the advantages of a professional story .. And the way to narrate events going high

Going under the surface

[mariaque_santan · 10/10 · 6 March 2019]

"Salam" brings together two women who, at first sight, might seem quite different. But the eye of the director is capable of showing the other side and the spectator understands that they are not as the surface shows. With great use of the out of frame, the director portrays the life of an immigrant woman where, although she fulfills her everyday tasks, the fear of the death of her beloved ones is constantly present.

In some way, a contemporary and Feminist "Taxi Driver".

[produccion-19356 · 10/10 · 20 March 2019]

The night owl New York is the backdrop chosen to tell the story of Salam, an immigrant woman from Syria who works through the Uber service, with a stylized photograph that takes advantage of the luminaire offered by the big city, this short film can be read, in some way, as a kind of contemporary and feminist Taxi Driver.