Aicha (short film)
ELIJAH CHAMBERLAIN
JUN 13, 2025
Review: Aicha
Coming in at a perfect 24 mins
Aicha is a delicate, sorrowful short film that captures the aching distance between a mother and daughter and what happens when time runs out to close that gap.
We find a 17-year-old girl, caught in the emotional void left by a mother who seems unable or unwilling to connect. But when tragedy strikes, the film shifts inward, exploring not just loss, but the quiet desperation to feel something in its wake.
What makes Aicha so affecting is its restraint. The story unfolds with a calm, almost meditative pace, allowing us to feel the emotional weight of every unspoken word, every withheld gesture. After her daughter’s death, the mother turns to a mystic ceremony not out of faith, necessarily, but need. The ceremony is strange and intimate, rendered with a sense of quiet awe. It's less about the supernatural and more about the rawness of unresolved love.
The cinematography is beautiful: static shots, muted color palettes, and lingering close-ups that rarely offer relief.
The closing shot of the film is worth the watch alone.
This one won’t be for everyone but I highly recommend you check it out!
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