The Cardinal (2024), single-channel video installation, Mini Alexa 4K/16:9/Color/Stereo, Greek with English subtitles. Duration 16 mins
Logline:
Far from home and trapped in loneliness, young Pakistani migrant Muhammad takes a desperate gamble on connection, only to discover that a single night of tenderness can echo louder than a lifetime of silence.
Synopsis:
Muhammad is a young economic migrant scraping by as a cleaner in Athens, living in a tiny converted storage room behind the seaside tavern where he works. To fend off loneliness and the constant pressure of his demanding boss, he plastered his walls with posters of Muhammad Ali, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and sunlit Greek vistas—but daydreams and daily weightlifting can only go so far. Alone in his tiny room, Muhammad’s solitude drives him to a bold decision: One restless evening, he slips into a wealthy neighborhood and begins taping handwritten notes to apartment doors, offering himself as a ladies’ escort.
When a middle-aged woman answers his call, Muhammad arrives at her stylish home trembling with hope. He presents her a yellow rose and breaks into an earnest, improvised dance—only to falter under her gentle, surprised gaze. When she finally leads him into her bedroom, with a tender, maternal care, she undresses him and guides him to bed. There is no rush, no performance—just affection, and for the first time, Muhammad knows what love feels like.
Later, he wakes alone and unclothed, his clothes folded neatly on a hanger. In the kitchen, a spread of delicacies waits—her quiet way of showing kindness. Though she presses him to eat, he only accepts the payment for his night’s companionship. He slips out into the night streets and notices another of his own notes still tacked to a nearby door. Heart pounding, he peels it down and disappears into the city.
On the crowded bus back to his room, Muhammad scrolls through family photos on his phone. When he sees a woman—perhaps his mother—tears spill down his cheeks. In that moment, he understands that this single night of gentle intimacy has transformed him: he has become a man, yet remains utterly alone, and unseen.