HOURGLASS ISLAND
A FILM DOCUMENTARY BY MANON KOLE AND LUCAS PERROGON
Across the globe, certain places leave a lasting mark on history. Forgotten cities, ancient kingdoms whose memories persist through time. Some of these places stand as timeless landmarks.
Failaka Island is one such place, a living time capsule of the Gulf's rich history, slowly unveiling its mysteries to archaeologists. In forgotten times, the island's shores bore witness to the footsteps of Alexander the Great's armies. Once a small but significant piece of his vast empire, Failaka later became a key stop along the Silk Road. Yet, the island has long been wearied by the ravages of war, lying dormant, waiting for its renewal.
Today, Failaka stands on the cusp of a new chapter. Several development projects are poised to breathe fresh life into this storied land. Failaka waits to shine once more, but as the waves caress its shores, hungry, patient, one wonders.. will the sea wait long enough for its resurrection?
Manon and Lucas : "Documentaries have a unique power: they convey and translate the thoughts of those who cannot speak. It is this power that drives us to create new projects and especially in remote territories. After a lot of research, gathering testimonies from residents and visitors to the island, we took the plunge and scouted locations in 2023. We wanted to immerse ourselves in the unique atmosphere of Failaka, to understand its contours, to grasp its subtleties. This experience allowed us to synthesize a central element of our film: time."
A new day dawn over my maze of sand
Manon and Lucas : "Filming on Failaka was very intense because history is omnipresent. A bullet-riddled wall, near which a child's drawing can be seen, does not leave anyone indifferent. And we find ourselves in a kind of hypnosis, moving from house to house, from story to story. The archaeological sites also reveal lives from another time, almost from another world. At the same time, the climate is very particular; we encountered some difficulties with storms, sandstorms, and the feverish heat of the afternoons. We wanted to transform these technical challenges into an intense artistic experience.
