A look at the immigration problems that resulted from policies implemented after the October War fought in 1973 between a coalition of Arab states and Israel. A group plans their emigration to the United States, with the help of a Professor, Gabir Fawaz (Sami El Adl). They must travel from the Romanian capital Bucharest, a […]
Continue readingIce Cream in Gleam
Though 25 years have passed, this is still the first film that comes to mind when mentioning the Egyptian acting and singing superstar Amr Diab. He plays Saif, a young man who works in a video rental store. With his friends, he aspires for a better life, leading to the ill-judged decision to try to […]
Continue readingCrab
Hassan Hudhud (Ahmed Zaki) is a poor boxer dreaming of a better life. By chance, he participates in a match at the mansion of a wealthy man (Hussein El Imam) and his wife (Raghda). Impressing the audience, he receives a large reward and moves into the mansion. He soon discovers that the glitz and glamour […]
Continue readingSweet day, Bitter day
One of the essential films of the Egyptian neo-realist wave, of which Beshara was a leading proponent, with his uncompromising commitment to the truth. Aisha (Faten Hamama) is a widower with five children, Sanaa (Hanan Youssef), Suad (Abla Kamel), Lamia (Simone), Asmaa (Salwa Mohamed Ahmed) and her youngest Noor. When her eldest daughter Sanaa gets […]
Continue readingThe Collar and the Bracelet
One of the most iconic films in Egyptian cinema, acclaimed for its unflinching social commentary and poetic style. Based on a novel by Yahia Al Tahir Abdulla, the film focuses on Hazina (Fardous Abdel Hamid), who lives in Karnak, Luxor, with her paralyzed husband (Ezzat El Alaili), her daughter and granddaughter (both played by Sherihan). […]
Continue readingHouseboat No. 70
The film that launched Egypt’s neo-realist wave, the movement pioneered by Khairy Beshara. Documentary maker Ahmed Al Shazly (Ahmed Zaki) is shooting a film about a cotton gin – a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds – when a worker (Ahmed Bedair) reveals the extent of the corruption in the […]
Continue readingAl-Ikhtiyar (The Choice)
Do we ever truly know ourselves? A masterpiece of Arab cinema by legendary Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine, “The Choice” is revered for its profound ability to distill the political through the personal. Co-scripted by Nobel Laureate in Literature, author Naguib Mahfouz, this murder mystery is a deep dive into the human psyche, exploring the social […]
Continue readingLes Pèlerins de la Mecque (Mecca Pilgrims)
In 1940, French alpinist, explorer, photographer, and film director Marcel Ichac traveled the pilgrimage route from North Africa to Mecca. He filmed the journey to the boundary at the request of the French government, with footage of the city filmed by a Muslim crew. The result, “Les Pèlerins de la Mecque,” is a remarkable account […]
Continue readingThe French Military Mission to Hijaz
Dating back to 1917, “The French Military Mission to Hijaz” includes the earliest footage shot on the Arabian Peninsula. Both a significant historical document and an engaging narrative, it is the only filmed account of the Great Arab Revolt, launched against the Ottomans in 1916 by Sharif Hussein ben Ali of Mecca. Emile Pierre and […]
Continue readingThe Pilgrimage to Makkah
“The Pilgrimage to Makkah”(1963) is a historic visual record of the yearly holy ritual, shot by Safouh I. Naamani, a pioneer of color photography in the Kingdom. The festival is honored to present “The Pilgrimage to Makkah” in the presence of Mr. Naamani’s son, Omar. For 13 years, from 1950 to 1963, Naamani was determined […]
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