Set against busy streets before sunrise, 5 AM IN MANAMA follows a solitary driver as he observes the city awakening, and reflects on routine, happiness, attention and the hidden complexity of other people’s lives. As he judges the strangers around him, contradictions subtly emerge between his observations and his own behavior. Filmed entirely during blue hour across three days, the film quietly examines self-importance, habits, hypocrisy and the stories we tell ourselves before the day’s chaos begins.