An intriguing documentary that unearths the extraordinary story of the first woman director, perhaps even the very first director. Alice Guy-Blaché was a true pioneer, who shaped film from the very beginning. She began her career in 1894, when she was just 21 and two years later became head of production at Gaumont where she […]
Continue readingMisbehaviour
These are the true events of a historic day, when four normal women – determined, passionate, a little unprepared – took on the establishment and were catapulted onto the world stage, disrupting the most-watched TV event on the planet. More than just the usual spectacle and “glamour” of a beauty pageant, the 1970 Miss World […]
Continue readingLet’s Talk
An intimate exchange between director Marianne Khory and her daughter Sara, also a filmmaker. As the two frame each other through conversation and film – Sara in the portrait mode of the iPhone generation, Marianne in a more traditional landscape format – they explore the lives and aspirations of four generations, focusing on the women […]
Continue reading1982
Oualid Mouaness’ first feature film chronicles an afternoon at the end of June 1982 when Lebanese history was forever changed. “1982” tackles a critical point in the Lebanese civil war through an intensely personal moment in 11-year-old Wissam’s life. While Wissam is determined to confess his love to his classmate, Joana, his teachers struggle to conceal fears […]
Continue readingSound of metal
Ruben (Riz Ahmed) is a noise metal drummer. Shirtless and intense, he hammers out ferocious sets with his girlfriend and bandmate Lou (Olivia Cooke). But with each show, a persistent ringing in his ears worsens until sound drops out altogether. For a deaf musician and his partner who’ve built their precarious existence doing what they […]
Continue readingYou Will Die at 20
As Sakina (Islam Mubarak) and Alnoor (Talal Afifi) baptize their son Muzamil fate intervenes – a holy man faints, predicting the child will die when he turns 20. Mixing the mythical with the realistic to denounce the customs that destroy lives. Filmed with great mastery, the captivating rhythm fixates on expressions, dissecting feelings to explore […]
Continue readingA Son
Married life for Fares (Sami Bouajila) and Meriem (Najla Ben Abdallah) is bliss., They are happy at work, at home, and enjoy a close-knit relationship with their eleven-year-old son, Aziz (Youssef Khemiri). All that changes in an instant when a car journey turns into a nightmare. Randomly, caught in an ambush, a stray bullethits Aziz. […]
Continue readingMoondog
Khairy Beshara on Khairy Beshara, an autobiography introducing the director, the artist, and the man, which also explores the challenges and problems of the next generation, as represented by his son Robert. Tracing Beshara’s family migration to the United States through a surreal narrative, with Robert discovering his father has turned into a black dog. […]
Continue readingTraffic Light
One of the prime achievements of this remarkable film is that it was shot entirely on the busy streets of downtown Cairo. It shows a glimpse of mid-90s Egyptian society, reeling from the changes wrought by globalization. A group stuck at a red traffic light, on hold to allow a VIP to pass through, represents […]
Continue readingStrawberry War
“Strawberry War” is acclaimed for its unusual story, fantastical setting, and dark sense of humor. Thabet (Sami El Adl) is a wealthy businessman who owns factories and lives alone in a vast mansion. Losing his only son, he also loses happiness from his life, unable to understand or grasp its meaning anymore. He encounters the […]
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