São Paulo – Four films from the 19th Arab World Film Festival, held between August and September in São Paulo, will have additional screenings this month. They will be shown at the Cinemateca Brasileira in São Paulo from October 9 to 11.
The films The Poet King, Lyd, Beirut Hold’em, and Dancing on the Edge of the Volcano will be screened. These films, along with others shown at the festival, share a common goal of breaking away from the clichés of cinema, according to the festival’s curator and director of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) Arthur Jafet, during this year’s opening event. They also aim to present the audience with the diversity of Arab cinema.
The Poet King (2024) is directed by Portuguese filmmaker Carlos Gomes and had its world premiere in São Paulo. The film takes viewers on a journey through the territory of Al Andalus in the Iberian Peninsula, following the path of Al-Mu’tamid (1040-1095), the king of Seville known for his affinity for words and poetry.
Lyd (2023) is a science fiction documentary by Ramis Younis and Sarah Friedland that features the inhabitants of Lyd, a Palestinian city that became part of Israeli territory in 1948. The film explores how the city would be if it were still under Palestinian control today.
Variety of stories about Arab reality
Directed by Michel Kammoun, Beirut Hold’em (2022) portrays the life of a former inmate and his childhood friends amidst Lebanon’s political and economic struggles. Dancing on the Edge of the Volcano (2023) by Cyril Ariss explores the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion in the city. Free tickets can be picked up one hour before each screening. Check here for more information and the schedule.
Read more:
Festival explores Arab world through art of cinema
A movie to see the poet in King Al-Mu’tamid
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
