Shawafa
Short film - 2019
Dir: Ashtar Al Khirsan
Writers: Ashtar Al Khirsan
D.o.P: Mary Farbrother
Serendipity Films
A woman, tormented to the point of madness by her lust for a man she works with, visits a Shawafa, a Moroccan witch, to find a cure. Has this man cast a spell on her, is she possessed by a bad jinn? Whatever it is, the woman, the Shawafa and her maid find their lives totally transformed by its presence.
The concept
"Quli Taslim" (submit to the power of Jinns)
A SHAWAFA is a moroccan witch. They are known to use talisman, herbs and supernatural practices to ward off djinns (spirits) and claim to predict the future.
We wanted her place to feel a bit magical, not just because of her witchcraft skills, but to be visually strong and emotional too. It had to feel traditional and rooted in Morocco because she was an old witch, but also contemporary because she lived in London. The Shawafa was already strong, so the set design had to be peculiar but not too obvious.
Colour Palette:
Inspired by the spices from Morocco, we chose a warm and rich palette of yellows, oranges and reds. Moss green from the dried herbs, dark red from peppers.
We also added the intense blue and jade green from the tajines, the traditional Moroccan pottery, another strong visual reference.
Shawafa’s Home:
We thought of the room as a place where she would also receive visitors, not just her clients. A hybrid place where, if she wanted, her magical activities would go unnoticed.
Her magical tools, herbs and potions, could be easily taken by kitchen supplies.
To achieve this not-so-obvious look, traditional persian items like the couch in golden and red, the rug , original moroccan decor elements and muslim wall art were mixed with more casual western furniture and day-by-day objects.
The western furniture added to the ethnic ones, helped to bring the contemporary look to the room.
