Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: SINK [Toronto International Film Festival 2025 - Toronto, Canada]
The context of mental health and societal constructs varies from society to society depending on context. "Sink" (Discovery) made out of Jordan portrays an interesting construct of a man/child in Basil (Mohammad Nizar) who throughout the movie descends into a world he increasingly cannot comprehend. His family including his father, brother and sister devise different ways of interacting with him but his comprehension of life increasing begins to break down his perception of reality and thereby the family structure. Nizar plays him incredibly tender but then with fits of frustration and uncontrollable energy which is uber-focused but yet chaotic. This is one of the better portrayals of this kind of combined mental health condition. Nizar in the Q&A spoke to it as "schizo-effective" which is a form of schizophrenia. It doesn't try to show us the inside of Basil's mind but more how he uses it and his reaction of it. He is high functioning in certain ways with math and science but is very primal in others. His mother Nadia (Clara Khoury) tries to meet him where he is but he tends to hurt those close to him. She tries to go on the journey with him but the issue is how to help when it is hard to understand what he perception is.
The reasoning also is once he is brought to the state as an asylum all control over treatment might be lost. Basil only feels comfortable at home until that becomes an inherent problem for his well being. The other siblings suffer quietly. Basil is so attentive and patient for example with his sister, even allowing her to put makeup on him. His brother is excelling in sports but his parents don't give him as much attention since they have to deal with his brother. When the rest of the family goes on vacation, Nadia is left at home to deal with Basil. She tries different things to connect. She tries to take him to see the outside world...but he devolves in a certain way to playing with masks and covering himself in mud before running off through the city. Whether this is either out of rebellion or simple frustration, the intent is that Nadia is just trying to help to her own chagrin. Khoury (also seen in "The Voice Of Hind Rajab" which also won the Golden Lion at Venice) gives Nadia a quiet strength but pain in her eyes mixed with love which is palpable. She so wants to help her son but in a way, she doesn't really know how. The film is powerful but is not easy either. It forces confrontation of issues (much like "Rajab") but the resolution here is based on a concept of how the viewer can see the future of these characters. Treatment or medication might work but it depends on the strength of the mind since the power of love sometimes can simply not be enough. B+
By Tim Wassberg
