São Paulo – Returning to in-person screenings after two online editions, the Arab World Film Festival will celebrate the diversity of Arab countries in its 17th edition, bringing ten unreleased films in Brazil to São Paulo. From August 31 to September 7, the public will be able to watch productions from Morocco, Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria at CineSesc. There will be 11 features in total, one documentary and ten fiction. Eight works will have in-person screenings, and three will be available on the Sesc Digital platform. Watch the movie trailers at the end of this story.
The opening session will be on August 31, at 8:00 pm BRT at CineSesc, with the fiction ‘Memory Box’ [‘Caixa de Memórias’] (pictured above), by Lebanese directors Joana Hadijthomas and Khalil Joreige (Lebanon, Qatar, Canada, France, 2021, 102 min). The session is free, and tickets can be obtained up to one hour in advance at the theater box office.
Exclusively on the Sesc Digital platform, the documentary ‘Adonde Vas’ (Argentina, 2017, 70 min), by Javier López Actis; ‘Urgent’ [‘Uma Emergência Banal’ / ‘Une urgence ordinaire’] (Morocco, Switzerland, 2018, 85 min), fiction by Mohcine Besri; and ‘Jahilya’ (Morocco, 2018, 94 min), fiction by Hicham Lasri. The films will be available within the #EmCasaComSesc home cinema series. Registration is not required.
The schedule at CineSesc continues on September 1 at 6:00 pm BRT with ‘Huda’s Salon’ [‘O Salão de Huda’] (Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, Netherlands, 2021, 90 min), by Hanny Abu-Assad. The fiction feature is the only film in the program already released in Brazil.
On September 2, the fiction features ‘Amira’ (Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, 2021, 90 min), by Mohamad Diab, at 6:00 pm, and ‘Sharaf’ (Tunisia, Germany, France, Luxembourg, 2021, 95 min), by Samir Nasr, at 8:30 pm.
September 3 will feature three screenings, all fiction features. At 3:30 pm, ‘Costa Brava, Lebanon’ (Lebanon, Qatar, Denmark, France, Norway, Spain, and Sweden, 2021, 106 min), by Mounia Akl; at 6:00 pm, ‘Memory Box;’ and at 8.30 pm, ‘The Stranger’ [‘O Estrangeiro’ / ‘Al Garib’] (Syria, Palestine, Qatar, Germany, 2021, 98 min), by Amir Fakhar Aldin.
On September 4, there will be a screening of three fiction features. At 3:30 pm, ‘Communion’ [‘Comunhão’] (Tunisia, 2021, 96 min), by Nejib Belkadhi; at 6:00 pm, ‘Farha’ (Jordan, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, 2021, 92 min) directed by Darin J Sallam; and at 8:30 pm, ‘Huda’s Salon.’
On September 5, there will be two screenings, ‘Sharaf’ at 6:00 pm and ‘Amira’ at 8:30 pm. September 6 will have ‘The Stranger’ at 6:00 pm and ‘Communion’ at 8:30 pm. And on September 7, the exhibition will close with ‘Costa Brava, Lebanon’ at 6:00 pm and ‘Farha’ at 8:30 pm.
The festival is organized by the Arab Culture Institute (ICArabe) with Sesc São Paulo. It is sponsored by the Arab House, the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce’s (ABCC) cultural center, and the Brazilian Sleep Institute. In addition to the screenings, online meetings with guests will be hosted for interaction with the public.
Arthur Jafet curates the screenings. “Arab cinema has an ongoing reputation for breaking down barriers and stereotypes and, more often than not, making a political statement. We feel more support for Arab cinema now with new festivals and funds being created. We also see a new industry emerging in Saudi Arabia and a sizeable audience, not just in population but in passion for film and purchasing power. It’s an exciting time to be a filmmaker or content creator in the Middle East,” said Jafet in a statement. “The film industry consensus is that great work is happening in the Arab film industry, but more grassroots support is needed,” said the curator.
Check out the full schedule on the show’s website.
Quick facts:
17ª Mostra Mundo Árabe de Cinema [ 17h Arab World Film Festival]
August 31 to September 7
CineSesc
Rua Augusta, 2075, Cerqueira César
São Paulo – SP
Sesc Digital
Tickets for CineSesc from September 1 to 7: BRL 24 (full) and BRL 12 (students, elderly, and handicapped)
Memory Box trailer:
Adonde Vas trailer:
Urgence trailer:
Jahilya trailer:
Huda’s Salon trailer:
Amira trailer:
Sharaf trailer:
Costa Brava, Lebanon trailer:
The Stranger trailer:
Farha trailer:
Communion trailer:
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
