LUMIÈRE, LE CINÉMA
SHOWTIME
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THE LEGEND OF THE VAGABOND QUEEN OF LAGOS
Director: James Tayler
The Agbajowo Collective bring a lively mix of legend and community struggle to a fable grounded in Nigeria’s real-life mass evictions. In 2017, the state government and corrupt police colluded to burn out and bulldoze the waterside shanty town of Otodo-Gbame, leaving thousands homeless. Those who resisted were beaten, jailed or worse. In the fictionalised version - called Agbojedo - young mother Jawu, living in the floating slums on the lagoon that gives Lagos its name, is compelled by the spirit of the great warrior king Egbaezen to stand firm against these forced evictions, unifying her poor but loyal community behind her in an epic multi-genre adventure containing a stash of extorted money and a magical African Grey parrot.
SMILE THE PHOTO COMES OUT BETTER
Director: Sherif Arafa
Photographer Sayed Gharib worries when his daughter Tahani moves to Cairo to study medicine, concerns that prove justified when she struggles to fit in with her privileged fellow students. His solution is to follow her to the city, moving close to the school where she studies. While she is falling in love with the son of a famous businessman, Sayed continues to take pictures. He has strong ideas about photographs of people, which reflect his own sense of dignity in poverty but is also his strongest professional principle. They must look happy; no matter how much sadness anyone carries with them, photographs must express joy. Mona Zaki plays in this film with other important Arab actors, including Ahmed Zaki and Leila Eloui.
ZERO
Director: Jean Luc Herbulot
In the bustling heart of Dakar, Senegal, two white Americans wake to a nightmare: bombs strapped to their chests, and they only have ten hours before they explode. With no idea who’s behind it, their only hope for survival is to listen to the instructions of a mysterious voice on the phone, forcing them to complete a series of bizarre and perilous tasks across the city. As they race against time in this twisted scavenger hunt, the vibrant streets of Dakar become a high-stakes labyrinth of survival. Darkly thrilling and filled with unexpected political commentary on colonialism and African society, this tense and exciting pulse-pounding thriller keeps you guessing until the very last second—because in this world, every move counts.
ZORRO
Director: Jean Baptiste Saurel
In 1821, after the unexpected death of his father, Don Diego de la Vega (the always charismatic Jean Dujardin) is named mayor of Los Angeles, a city facing massive financial trouble and with greedy businessman Don Emmanuel close to taking over the city of angels. Don Diego feels that the answer is to bring back Zorro, but it's been 20 years since he's worn the mask, and he isn't getting any younger. While the old costume just about fits, Don Diego struggles to balance his dual identity as both Zorro and mayor. And though his wife Gabriella is unaware of his secret identity, she certainly takes an interest in the mystery man in the black cape. A humorous reimaging of the legend.