Indie short film The Pit trains spotlight on digital crime

dubai — Independent filmmaker Zenofer Fathima launched her latest short film, The Pit, at the Novo Cinemas in Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai, on February 7. A film by ZEN Productions under the Enigma series, The Pit puts the spotlight on the prevalence of online vulnerabilities among unsuspecting adults, specifically offering a closer look at how digital blackmail and extortion can bring about seriously damaging consequences to victims and their families.

Based on reports from leading cybersecurity companies, digital extortion has been rising exponentially the past years and the trend is predicted to continue into the foreseeable future. The emotional and psychological toll on victims should never be underestimated as many acts of cyber coercion and extortion have led to serious outcomes such as suicides.

With digital connectivity permeating people’s lives, Fathima has been actively advocating for cyber-safety and awareness through her movie projects.

“Films are ideal tools to awaken consciousness and shape our thoughts and attitudes towards the most pressing needs of society today. Our fixation with social media, maintaining online presence and messaging apps has obviously become a matter of great concern with the growing impact of cybercrime in our personal lives. Children are not the only ones vulnerable to online predators; adults are equally susceptible to digital crime, especially if we remain complacent in engaging in risky online behaviour,” Fathima said.

is now available for viewing on Zenofer’s official YouTube channel, House of Zen.

Films awaken consciousness and shape our thoughts and attitudes towards the most pressing needs of society today

Zenofer Fathima, Filmmaker