Marina Sarruf*
São Paulo – Cinema exhibit Meeting the Arab Cinema begins tomorrow (24) at the São Paulo Cultural Centre (CCSP) and at Olido gallery. In all, six films will be exhibited, of which five have never been shown in Brazil. At the CCSP, the program will also include five Brazilian films directed by Arabs or that include Arab themes.
The exhibit is going to go on up to May 29. The films will be the same as those exhibited in Brazilian capital Brasília, in the sidelines of the summit between Arab and South American countries.
The choice of Arab films was made by the current Culture secretary of the City of São Paulo, Carlos Augusto Calil, and by Nadia Attia, director of one of the most important cinema events in Africa and the Middle East, the Carthage Film Festival, which takes place in Tunisia. In October last year, Calil travelled to the Arab country representing the Brazilian Foreign Office (Itamaraty) to follow the 20th edition of the festival and select the movies to be brought to Brazil.
The six Arab films that were selected were produced in Tunisia, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria and Palestine. Lebanese film Lê Cerf-Volant, directed by Randa Chahal Sabbag, is the only film that has already been exhibited on the Brazilian commercial movie circuit. The story takes place in a village in southern Lebanon, on the frontier with Israel, where a Lebanese girl falls in love with an Israeli soldier.
One of the highlights is film Passion, by Syrian director Mohamed Malas, considered one of the best Arab directors. The film tells the story of a housewife who loves to sing, but faces cultural problems with the men of her society, who believe that a respectable woman must remain in silence. Another production is Egyptian film La Porte du Soleil, by Yousry Nasrallah, which is five hours long, and tells the 50 years of the history of Palestine.
Among the national films are Lampião, o Rei do Cangaço, which was directed by Lebanese Benjamim Abrahão. The documentary shows the customs, hardships and fights of cangaceiros (bandits), in northeastern Brazil. The filmmaker, who was protected by a famous priest, Cícero, won the confidence of Lampião and accompanied him over a period of seven years.
Another Brazilian film is Lavoura Arcaica, directed by Luiz Fernando Carvalho, which tells the story of a family of Lebanese immigrants. One of the kids runs away from home when he notices he is in love with his sister. The film is based on a novel by the same title, written by Raduan Nassar.
The exhibit is a joint effort of the Culture Secretariat of the City of São Paulo, the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the Brazilian embassy in Tunisia and the Carthage Film Festival.
*Translated by Mark Ament
