Ayny

My Second Eye / Ayny

Ahmad Saleh (Fiction 2.0, Academy of Media Arts Cologne, Ahmad Saleh)

2016, Germany, Jordan, Palestine, 11min

The mothers stood when the war hit the houses. The children kept dreaming. The houses grew back. The war hit back. The children kept playing. The film is a Gold Winner of Oscar Students Academy Award.

Language: Arabic

Recommended for children under the age of 14: No

Technique: Puppet animation, Live-action, 3D CGI

 

Team:

Written and directed by Ahmad Saleh

Producer: Stefan Gieren

Art Director: Jessica Neubauer

Director of photography: Lionel Poutiaire Some

Animation: Frank Pingel

Character Design: Sabine Dully

3D animation and models: Claire Steka, Dominic Tiedken

Puppets: Ahmad Saleh, Diana Meneatrev, Jessica Neubauer, Kerstin Gramberg

Costumes: Kati Ostermann, Nici Lancaster, Carmen Oertwig

Props: Saed Saleh, Saleh Saleh, Frank Pingel, Camilo Colmenares, Shin Moromisato

Light: Mahmoud Belakhel

Sound: David Black

Music: Nizar Rohana

Academic supervision: Prof. Raimund Krumme, Stephanie Beaugrand, Prof. Sophie Maintigneux, Prof. Zilvinas Lilas, Prof. Katrin Laur, Prof. Markus Busch, Daniela Kinasteder, Christina Elbet // Production coordiators: Naser Abu Zer (Palestine), Saleh Saleh (Jordan)

Color grading: Quimu Cas, Fabiana Cardala

Sound recording and mix: Judith Nordbrock, Gerlad Schauder

 

Stills:

 

About Ahmad Saleh

Ahmad Saleh is a Palestinian/Jordanian/German writer and director. His first film, HOUSE, 2012 won a second place in the German Short Film Award and his second film, AYNY, 2016 won an Academy Award. Recently he finished his third short film, NIGHT and is developing his first feature. He collaborates artistically with his brothers: Saleh and Saed. Ever since they made their first film, HOUSE, the brothers made films together and established their own family studio. Inspired by their mother’s hobby of making ceramic flowers, the kids grow loving hand crafts. And that is probably what made building puppets and movie sets the natural medium to tell their stories. Ahmad Saleh also presents an original storytelling performance Inside the TV Box, I Found the True Story of the People of Palestine of which the artist says: “I stand before the audience and narrate true stories from my journey – from outside Palestine to inside, and back out again. The films serve as chapters in this narrative, complementing my live narration. Throughout the performance, I intermittently dim the lights to allow the films to speak for themselves, before resuming the live narration.”

Filmography: 

2021 (debut) Night, Stop Motion Animation, 16’

2016 (graduation film) AYNY – MY SECOND EYE Stop Motion Animation, 11’

2015 (student film) MAA BAA Hand Drawn Animation, 6’

2012 (student film) HOUSE Stop Motion Animation

Interview with Ahmad Saleh (2024): Palestinian Animation at StopTrik: An Interview with Ahmad Saleh