More than a year after its IDFA premiere in late 2023, Ömer Sami’s 30-minute documentary Eternal Father is on the Oscar trail. It is one of the 15 titles in contention in the Documentary Short Film category for the 97th Academy Awards.

The jury said “A fascinating and disturbing documentary giving us personal intimate moments within a family who are navigating the fragility of life and the concept of evading death. Daring and innovative, a feat in short non-fiction storytelling.”

In his short documentary, Into the Blue, director Ömer Sami takes us to the woods to spend the week with Tatheer, and the other girls, offering us the opportunity to discover this unusual initiative through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl, as she navigates her place within the group.