Magid / Zafar Short Film Review

Directed by: Luís Hindman

Written by: Luís Hindman, Sufiyaan Salam

Starring: Eben Figueiredo, Gurjeet Singh, Kulvinder Ghir

Short Film Review by: Holly Baker

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Magid / Zafar (2025) is a 19-minute short film depicting rising tensions, set inside a Pakistani-British takeaway restaurant. There are many tensions at play here, such as the juxtaposition between modernity and traditionalism and between a Pakistani and a more Western way of life. These conflicts are presented through music, costume, and a heart-wrenching narrative, as the protagonist, Magid, must face his future and what it entails. Can Magid accept leaving his old life behind, or will the brewing tensions take over and leave him lost between two worlds?

Inside the busy kitchen, the heat, noise, and energy are constantly at an all-time high. Shifty camera movements combined with jumpy short takes bring this stressful environment to life, creating a strong impression that much is happening in this confined space. Whilst the kitchen is sizzling with chefs hard at work and the counter is bustling with customers, many interruptions add to this energetic soundscape, such as music being changed and phones pinging. A sense of frustration begins to take shape here regarding the intense environment becoming more stressful, and through a generational gap, which becomes apparent through conflicts in music choice and a disdain towards the use of mobile phones. These rising tensions set the scene marvellously for what is later revealed about Magid’s marital situation, as in a revelation, he is unveiled to be stuck between two crossroads and forced to take a route that does not align with what his heart may desire.

This film deals strongly with the feeling of being trapped and wanting to run away, aptly using a single-shot location of a kitchen to convey a claustrophobic environment where so many things are expected of you, and yet nothing is ever within your control. Like Christopher Storer’s The Bear, as seen on Disney+, and the 2021 BBC film Boiling Point, the setting of a busy restaurant is masterfully utilised to enhance viewers' engagement with characters’ emotions and frustrations both within their workspace and in their personal lives.

Magid / Zafar is cinematically beautiful, effectively using colour and costume to create a fittingly vibrant palette. Viewers will almost be able to smell the spices and sauces being cooked and feel the energy radiating out of the kitchen. The carefully combined soundscape, combined with an artistic, dreamy use of neon lighting, adds to the film’s spirit of feeling both an authentic portrayal of life working in a kitchen and a necessary setting to enhance the film’s themes of escapism and conflict.

Around halfway through the film, there is a sudden shift in its energy levels. The latter segment of the film is entirely shot within a store cupboard, relying heavily on performances by Eben Figueiredo (Magid) and Gurjeet Singh (Zafar) to keep the viewer engaged, and both actors certainly succeed in doing so. The film’s former, highly stressful feel is halted by a vulnerable, tender scene, the soft performances here reminiscent of remarkable performances by River Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho (1991) and Timothée Chalamet in Call Me By Your Name (2017). Figueiredo and Singh are both continuing the legacy of having young male characters on screen who are rawly portrayed as they struggle with vulnerable emotions surrounding their identities, and the result is a tearful climax to close the film.

The film’s director, Luís Hindman, is currently working on his debut feature film, which audiences can eagerly await after the gorgeously shot Magid/Zafar. This film’s moving story captures viewers through its initial mayhem, stuns with its unexpected turn, and hits home in an emotionally poignant final shot.