A celebration of the rich and diverse contemporary culture of one of the oldest societies in the world.
Egypt in Focus was the first event to also incorporate photography and a performance of live music by Egyptian musicians residing in London, thereby offering the audience a fully-rounded multimedia impression of the country.
Programme created by Egypt in Focus’ artistic director and copywriter Alex Hands.
Short Films
Solo, Dir. Laila Samy, 6′, 2009
UK Première
Laila Samy spends six minutes exploring the crushing pressures of agoraphobia which must be overcome to satisfy a desire for rich, dark, seductive chocolate. Not a single sliver of sweetness in the entire house and a fear of going outside? It’s a rueful affliction but one that must be dealt with.
Pale Red, Dir. Mohammed Hammad, 15′, 2009
UK Première
Awards: Best Short Film, Alexandria International Film Festival (2010); Best Short Film, Kazan International Film Festival (2010); Winner, Arab Women’s Organization Prize, Carthage International Film Festival (2010)
Pale Red gives a tender and subtle portrayal of how traditional social constraints impact upon a young girl’s bewildering transition to womanhood. Shaima is a teenager who lives with her grandmother. The two women have nothing in common. One day, Shaima faces an embarrassing situation that makes her become aware of her femininity.
Mount of Forgetfulness, [Tal El Nesyan], Hala Elkoussy, 27′, 2010
UK Première
![Tal al Nesyan [The Mount of Forgetfulness] Dir: Hala Elkoussy](http://www.landinfocus.com/gfx/mount%20of%20forgetfulness.jpg)
Directed by visual artist pioneer, Hala Elkoussy, this new and original approach to Egyptian oral and musical culture immerses us in the Egyptian tradition of storytelling with musical accompaniment in a series of colourful, imaginative tableaux. Rawi, who has a gift for storytelling, discovers that air pollution is killing off small stories. He saves them, reanimating them in contemporary Cairo.
The Sandwich, Dir. Ateyyat el Abnoudy, 12′, 1975
Not shown in the UK since 1976
The first colour film by multi award-winning veteran documentarist Ateyyat el Abnoudy, widely regarded as the finest exponent of documentary cinema in Egypt. The Sandwich depicts a normal day in an isolated rural town in Egypt, a seemingly timeless place but, albeit fleetingly, modernity is closer than it first appears.
Salam ya Salam, Dir. Abdelsalam Moussa, 7′, 2008
UK Première
Is it possible to turn problems into shapes? Salam is in his graduation year from the Higher Cinema Institute, he’s depressed for not being able to do his project the way he wants. His genie pops out from his cup of coffee and reminds him of his girlfriend who loves and takes him back to his childhood before escaping from his story to another without saying, “once upon time”.
Rise and Shine, Dir. Sherif Elbendary, 9′, 2006
UK Première
Awards: Jury Prize, National Film Festival, Egypt (2006)
This 8 minute single-shot short looks at a new mother’s desperate search for her lost house keys, adapted from Italian playwright Dario Fo’s rarely performed one-woman play.
The Chair Carrier, Dir. Tarek Khalil, 10′, 2010
UK Première
Awards: Best Satire, American International Film Festival (2010)
A modern Egyptian living in old Cairo is constantly bombarded with government propaganda. He crosses paths with an ancient Egyptian porter carrying a throne in a seemingly eternal search for his lost king. Based on the famous short story by Nobel-nominated Yusuf Idris and made before the popular uprising of the last few months, this political allegory examines the inherent self-imposed oppression in modern day Egypt.
Clean Hands, Dirty Soap, Dir. Karim Fanous, 25′, 2008
UK Première
Awards: Jury Prize, Egyptian National Film Festival (2008); Golden Hawk, Rotterdam Arab Film Festival (2008); Golden Ahaggar, Oran Arab Film Festival (2008); Jury Prize, Best Actor, Youssef Chahine Short Film Festival (2008); Best Short Film, San Francisco Arab Film Festival (2008); Golden Tanit, Carthage Film Festival (2008)
Hadi is a modest Cairo bathroom attendant, quietly washing away his future. An unlikely visit to a seedy cabaret finds him cast under the spell of Nour, a superstitious belly dancer. While mustering up the will to approach her, he learns that, in life, every non-action has a non-reaction.
Live Music
We were privileged to present a fantastic ensemble of musicians performing together especially for Egypt in Focus.
Featuring the highly talented Egyptian/German singer and composer Merit Ariane Stephanos, internationally renowned singer and oud player Abdul Salam Kheir, alongside Emile Bassili, virtuoso violinist whose half-century-long career has seen him play with the stars of the Egyptian music world including Oum Kalthum, the greatest female singer in Egyptian music history. Accompanied by groundbreaking Egyptian composer and accordionist Gamal ‘El Kordi’ Awad, and Ibrahim El Minyawi, masterful virtuoso percussionist.
We were also delighted to host Dr. Marlé Hammond, lecturer in Arabic Popular Literature and Culture, teaching Arabic Cinema courses at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), who gave an introductory talk which provided context for the short films featured in the programme.
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Researching and gathering the short films for this event involved two trips to Cairo, the first having started on 20th January, just days before the day of protests which were to start a movement more momentous than anyone had anticipated. Needless to say, once the batons were out, rubber bullets flying, and tear gas dispersing, the film research mission took something of a back seat in the face of a population passionately fighting for change.
The first trip was an astounding, if not life changing experience which bore witness to both the most barbaric and most tender and commendable human deeds. Now, a few weeks later, the mood is more that of resilience and a determination to push for real and lasting political and social change.
