> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://edn.as/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # MIFF 2026: Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep - URL: https://edn.as/miff-2026-yesterday-the-eye-didnt-sleep/ - Published: 2026-08-21T14:08:50.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-21T14:08:50.000Z - Description: ‘Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep’ is a film with a good story, great storytelling, and very interesting cinematography. I felt like it was built like a short film. It has compressed storytelling and they used the “extra runtime” really well by making each shot meaningfully more cinematic. - Author: Sande Harsa - Tags: movie-review, miff-2026 Melbourne International Film Festival 2026 is ongoing and I went to watch my tenth session (of 13!) This post my short review of ‘Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep**’** > For context: I am a photographer/youtuber that wants to up my cinematography and storytelling, that’s why I’m watching 13 sessions at the film festival PLUS reviewing them here on my blog! ## Why did I choose to watch this? This line in the movie description sold me to it: “Shot without a script and performed by a non-professional cast” That sounds so cool! Plus the locations: “Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Palestine, Qatar” - the location variation and the way it was shot while being a film festival movie, how cool is that!? I wonder how much of the limitations are due to logistical constraints versus artistic decision. My guess is that it’s both! Limitations produces creativity after all. Of course the synopsis of the story also sounds interesting, one about customs, culture, politics, and the want to break out of that. *All images courtesy of miff.com.au* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4f/164f5675-f8de-440a-ae0a-ebe2c9767c26/content/images/2026/08/IMG_7165.jpeg) ## Who would I recommend this to? People that like movies that comments on society. The film surfaces cultural norms that you are familiar with or perhaps you are familiar with it but seeing it portrayed might give you some thoughts. Those who likes movies slower paced well-shot films. And finally those that who’s interested in a film that was made under different process than big Hollywood blockbusters - non-professional actors and unscripted! How cool is that. *Light spoilers ahead* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4f/164f5675-f8de-440a-ae0a-ebe2c9767c26/content/images/2026/08/IMG_7166.jpeg) ## Structure The film starts off with a hook: a burning car in the darkness of night, shown slowly zoomed in - the first usage of the zooming that is used throughout the movie, more about this in the cinematography section. Then without any explanation, we are jumped to a slow introduction of the protagonists which are a family in Lebanon. After the slow paced intro, we hear mentions of a woman who’s missing, then scenes of someone trying to find her. Then an incident happened that is unrelated to the search, and the incident marks the next part of the movie which kinda picks up. i find that the structure feels like a short film but elongated. Instead of more narrative packed into the longer run time, it’s filled with long cinematic shots. This is the main contributor to the slow pace feeling. Yet, some of the situation in the film feels so urgent. That juxtaposition mimics the mannerism and societal expectations that the characters (especially the woman) experienced even faced with absurdly unfair situations. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4f/164f5675-f8de-440a-ae0a-ebe2c9767c26/content/images/2026/08/IMG_7167.jpeg) ## Narrative Speaking of the absurdly unfair situations, that‘s the centre of the story. At least for me. Things that are happening feel so unfair towards almost all the parties, all the characters, but particularly the main protagonists - the sisters in the family. This is highlighted even more with the side story which is told about the missing woman that I mentioned earlier. Interestingly, the burning-car hook is actually related to the side-story, not the main one. So the first part of the movie, you are subverted into thinking the story is about resolving that mystery. In the Q&A with the director, he said that when he made the movie, he tried to not make judgement on anyone or try to put across any particular message. He wants to tell a story of something that can happen in his home country, Lebanon, that might not be a common occurrence outside the region. After hearing that, I can see that. But before that Q&A, I didn’t think that was the why the film is made that way. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4f/164f5675-f8de-440a-ae0a-ebe2c9767c26/content/images/2026/08/IMG_7168.jpeg) ## Cinematography The shots in this film are all superb, very cinematic! Lots of frames that can be amazing still photos. The way they use motion, in particular the slow zoom, is satisfying. They used the zoom to emphasis a condition, to intensify a normal scene - for example people working at a field. the director mentioned that the film was shot in digital but utilising vintage lenses. So the result has some vintage vibes on it, takes off the digital sharpness edge. The film used many wide far away shots as the main (and only) shot for some scenes. For example, a far birds eye view of someone going up to a house, knocking the door, the having a quick conversation, then driving off. That whole sequence was on a birds eye view shot. At the Q&A, the director mention that it’s meant to represent a mythical being looking down to the scene from above - as in a god figure. Pretty cool! I really like the sequence on the celebration at a wedding. The music and the people dancing was captured in a fever dream sort of way. That was quite neat. ## Outro ‘Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep’ is a film with a good story, great storytelling, and very interesting cinematography. I felt like it was built like a short film - especially since short films are fresh in my mind after watching the short films at MIFF. And that’s in a good way and bad way. The bad part is that the essence of it could perhaps be told in a quicker manner, which might mean that it has a bit of fluff. On the other hand, contradicting that, The good part of it is the convinced compressed storytelling and they used the “extra runtime” really well by making each shot meaningfully more cinematic.