The Oasis (paradox) is the theme of the Al Sidr Environmental Film Festival in February 2022. The oasis, an integral feature of Emirati geography and history, mainly conjures up hope. The oasis, a representation of fertility in the desert, flowing with precious waters, invokes sustainability. Yet, the oasis is also a human construction that has revealed environmental degradation, human vulnerability, and disease. When the oasis was established in the UAE, these human made pools of water also brought malaria. The need for water also made the oasis the center of power, greed, and wars. This paradox entrances us as eras of Climate Change and COVID-19 stare at us with similar dynamics, such as the devastating mining of lithium for greener electric cars.