By the end of this month, the renowned El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) will make a major comeback, kicking off its 7th edition. Once again, a spotlight will be shone on a selection of Arab and international films that deserve the beaming limelight.
Seeing as how the festival is soon upon us, we thought of directing your attention to several Arab filmmakers we believe should be on your radar before the arrival of GFF.
Jaylan Auf
Taking a deep dive into Egyptian culture, plucking and analyzing the strings that hold it together, Egyptian independent filmmaker Jaylan Auf knows how to portray raw and challenging aspects of Egyptian society.
Her film, Turning Ten, is a prime example of this, depicting a mother, father, and daughter in a clinic waiting room for 10 minutes before the daughter’s circumcision appointment. Female genital mutilation (FGM) remains a widespread issue across Egypt.
Now, with the 7th edition of the El Gouna Film Festival, she is bringing to light a new film, “The Inevitable Journey to Find a Wedding Dress,” her debut feature, which will be making its world premiere in the Narrative Feature Competition of GFF.
This is a film about a bride-to-be from a lower-class family whose wedding dress is ruined on her big day. She ends up embarking on a crazy journey across Cairo, seeing it in a new light, with her cousin to find a replacement for her dress.
Nada Riyadh
Exploring the realm of documentary filmmaking in a major way, Egyptian filmmaker Nada Riyadh has a special collection of documentaries under her belt, including her premiere documentary, Nihayat Saeida (Happily Ever After), which premiered at IDFA 2016.
Now, her documentary “The Brink of Dreams” chronicles the lives of a group of young Egyptian girls from a very conservative small village in Upper Egypt who, against their family’s wishes, end up forming an all-female acting troupe.
It will be part of the GFF Documentary Feature Competition. Overall, her documentaries challenge the status quo and celebrate freedom and independence.
Karima Saïdi
The Moroccan creator known as Karima Saïdi has done it all, from working as an editor for Belgian television (RTBF) since 1997 to developing a career as a documentary editor on films like Femme Taxi à Sidi Bellabes and Les Damnés de la Mer.
She also has her very own work: back in 2016, she directed a short documentary called Aïcha that evokes her mother’s death.
Now, she has a special documentary called “Those Who Watch Over,” which is currently in postproduction and is part of the Cine Gouna funding program. It is a film all about exile and about a group of people called the watchers: Muslims, Jews, Orthodox, and marginalized people buried in their host country.
In the film, the watchers are also referred to as the relatives of those who were buried, establishing a new relationship with them in Brussels.
Nadim Tabet
Known for his work on One of These Days, the Lebanese director has gained recognition for his portrayal of four teenagers navigating the emotional challenges of adolescence while facing life in Beirut on the cusp of civil unrest.
Now, he has a new film, one that is in post-production and part of the Cine Gouna funding program.
The film is called “In This Darkness I See You,” and it is known as a Lebanese ghost story that revolves around strange and life-threatening events that take place in a construction site, creating tension between the Syrian workers and the Lebanese villagers.
Namir Abdel Messeeh
Born in Egypt and growing up in France, Namir Abdel Messeeh brought to life many short films during his career, from You, Waguih (2005) to La Vierge, les Coptes et moi (2011), which was nominated for several awards and won the Audience Jury Award at Nyon Visions du Réel 2012.
Now, the filmmaker is putting his heart and soul into a new project, “La Vie D’après,” which is currently in post-production and part of the Cine Gouna funding program.
These are just a few picks of the Arab filmmakers we believe you should place on your radar as we count down to the arrival of the 7th edition of the El Gouna Film Festival. We recommend watching all their films and learning more about each filmmaker to truly appreciate their presence once the festival kicks off.
