Festival To Spotlight 11 New Films Made In Middle East
By Erik Sandoval, iReporter and Digital Content Director
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — After a year which saw political upheaval and governments overturned, organizers for the Palm Springs International Film Festival announced a new program Monday highlighting Arab Cinema.
“We’ve all been watching the democratic protests and political upheavals in the Arab world over the past year, and we’ve been excited to find many progressive themes reflected in the new movies coming out of this part of the world. These films are revolutionary in their own way,” said Artistic Director Helen du Toit.
Arabian Nights programmer Alissa Simon has identified 11 personal stories that festival organizers said reflect profound generational change and the dramatic tension created by the influx of Western values often in direct conflict with traditional values.
“This is the most wide-ranging and cohesive line-up of films and special events the Festival has ever assembled,” said Festival Director Darryl Macdonald. “From our special showcase of new Arabian cinema to the beefed-up archival section and the inclusion of an exhibition focusing on allied arts (with the Marilyn: Intimate Exposures program), the PSIFF has kicked it up a notch, enhancing its standing as an event presenting the best of contemporary world cinema with a celebration of all things cinematic.”
The showcase reflects the dramatic upsurge of film production and the concurrent emergence of exciting new film making talents across the region. The films selected in the Arabian Nights program include:
· Asma’a (Egypt) – Devout, careworn widow Asma’a has a secret. She is HIV-positive in a world where the disease is still stigmatized. Ultimately, the host of a daring TV show inspires Asma’a to speak out and fight back – both against her illness and social ignorance. Director: Amr Salama. Cast: Hend Sabry, Maged El Kedwani, Hani Adel, Ahmad Kamal, Sayed Ragab, Botros Ghali.
· Cairo 678 (Egypt) – Tackling the issue of sexual harassment, which continues to plague Egyptian society, this social issues drama focuses on three women from different backgrounds. Director: Mohamed Diab Bushra. Cast: Nelli Kareem, Nahed El Seba’i, Maged El Kedwany, Bassem Samra.
· Habibi (Palestinian Territories/USA, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates) – The first fiction feature set in Gaza in over 15 years offers a story of forbidden love. Can Qays, a poet from the refugee camp, build a future with Layla, the daughter of a traditional, religious family? Director: Susan Youssef. Cast: Kais Nashif, Maisa Abd Elhadi, Yussef Abu-Warda, Amer Khalil.
· How Big is Your Love (Algeria/Morocco) – A heartwarming examination of childhood and love in modern Algiers. With his parents breaking up, 8-year-old Adel is sent to live with his grandparents. Soon it’s like he’s lived there forever, he’s so intimately wrapped up in their lives. Director: Fatma Zohra Zamoum. Cast: Racim Zennadi, Adbelkader Tadjer, Louiza Habani, Loubna Boucheloukh, Zahir Bouzrar, Nadjia Debbahi-Laaraf.
· Love in the Medina (Morocco) – In this colorful melodrama, a young man from a conservative Moroccan family infuriates his father when he decides to become a butcher. Soon he discovers that there is only one thing that he loves more than choice cuts…Women. Director: Abdelhaï Laraki. Cast: Omar Lotfi, Ouidad Elma, Driss Rokh, Amal Ayouch.
· Man Without a Cell Phone (Palestinian Territories/France, Belgium, Qatar) – An Arab-Israeli village’s new cell-phone tower quickly goes from minor annoyance to symbol of oppression. In turn, charming slacker Jawdat abandons youthful aimlessness for activism. Tempering its pointed politics with gentle humour, Sameh Zoabi’s dramedy is an old-fashioned crowd-pleaser. Director: Sameh Zoabi. Cast: Razi Shawahdeh, Basem Loulou, Louay Noufi, Ayman Nahas.
· On The Edge (Morocco/France, Germany) – In the demimonde of nocturnal Tangier, four street-smart young women struggle to escape their poverty turning tricks and pawning stolen valuables. The film won Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress at the Taormina Film Festival. Director: Leila Kilani. Cast: Soufia Issami, Mouna Bahmad, Nouzha Akel, Sara Betioui.
· The Rif Lover (Morocco/France, Belgium) – A bold, visually ravishing tale of women struggling against the bonds of tradition as a beautiful but naïve 20-year-old falls into the clutches of a drug baron. Director: Narjiss Nejjar. Cast: Nadia Kounda, Mourade Zeguendi, Nadia Niazi, Omar Lofti, Siham Assif.
· Sea Shadow (United Arab Emirates) – Set in a small seaside town in the Emirates, this gentle coming-of-age story follows two teenagers on the road to adulthood. Bound by tradition and deeply rooted values, Mansoor and his pretty cousin Kaltham must find the courage to forge their own paths. Director: Nawaf Al-Janahi. Cast: Omar Al Mulla, Neven Madi, Abrar Al Hamad, Khadeeja Al Taie, Aisha Abdulrahman, Ahmad Iraj.
· The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni (Lebanon) – Beautifully conceived and expertly edited, this playful documentary uses a wealth of clips from Egyptian star Hosni’s films to explore the iconic actress’s screen image and shed light on the Arab world’s most popular cinema. Director: Rania Stephan.
· Transit Cities (Jordan) – A 36-year-old divorcee returns to Amman after 14 years in the U.S., but finds her hometown, family and friends much changed. This affecting drama strikes enough universal notes pertaining to cultural estrangement to resonate with expats of any stripe. Director: Mohammad Hushki. Cast: Saba Mubarak, Mohammad Al-Qabbani, Shafika Al Til, Ashraf Farah, Manal Seihmeimat.
