The 19-year-old Wahab struggles through a nighttime snowstorm on his way to the hospital where his mother lies dying. This is his last chance to untangle the knot of his relationship with her. Deep in his heart, Wahab carries the song Al-Atlal (“The Ruins”) by the Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum. The song embodies the sorrow of a lost home, the longing for love, and ultimately the promise of reconciliation amidst the fragments of a broken relationship.

EPSG:4326

Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother

Barbican Centre

Hidden amongst the concrete high-rises and the redbrick buildings is something pretty unexpected: a place bursting with colour, where flowers, fruits and vegetables come to life in every corner growing up walls, twisting around handrails and planted in unusual objects.

Hannah Sibai

Events

Past events

Oct 2, 2025

Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother · Barbican Centre

1 - 2 Nov, 2024

The Hidden Garden · Stephen Joseph Theatre

About

Hannah Sibai hasn't added a bio