Akbar Rafsanjani & Shadia Imanuella Pradsmadji
Ten short films from eight countries converge in Madani Shorts, celebrating the vast diversity of human experience that transcends language and geography. Within less than thirty minutes, each filmmaker creates a small yet vivid world — reflecting memories of the past, the unease of our times, as well as moments of joy and shared hope.
This program views the short film not merely as a concise form, but as a space for moral and aesthetic contemplation. Through narrative, documentary, and non-dialogue animation works, Madani Shorts reveals how the language of cinema speaks without words — bridging differences through empathy and imagination.
In harmony with the madani ideal of an open and inclusive civilization, this program reminds us that cinema is a way for humanity to learn how to understand one another. Amid the constant flux of the world, these films become intimate conversations on how we continue to see, listen, and feel — together.
Through Madani Shorts, we hope audiences can experience the full spectrum of life’s emotions through diversity itself. These ten films stand as a testament that the values of empathy and understanding can emerge from moving images and sounds — transcending both physical and virtual boundaries. []