São Paulo – The 14th Arab World Film Festival will run from August 7 to 14 at São Paulo’s Cinesesc. The event is held by the Institute of Arab Culture (ICArabe) and the Social Service of Commerce (SESC-SP), with sponsorship from the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil (Fambras) and Instituto do Sono. Twelve movies will be featured; four of them were never shown in Brazil, and seven were directed by women.
The Festival opens at 8:30 pm on the 7th, featuring The Blessed (Algeria, France, Belgium, Qatar– 2017, 102 min), by Algerian filmmaker Sofia Djama, who’ll be in attendance as a special guest. She’ll sit in a panel on the 8th. The picture at the top of this article is a still from the movie.
The Brazilian-born, USA-based Joy Ernanny, who directed the documentary film Unveil (USA, 2018, 18 min.), is another special guest. She will have meetings with the audience on the 9th and 11th.
The twelve motion pictures portray the political, social and cultural realities of Arab countries like Algeria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria and Palestine, showcasing “the challenges facing the Arab world amid the refugee crisis, terrorism, postcolonialism, the clamor for freedom of expression, and a return to the roots, the memory and analysis of the past in the face of a new scenario that unfolds,” a press release quoted Festival curator and ICArabe culture director Arthur Jafet as saying.
The movies are divided into three thematic sections: “Memory and its encounters,” “The flame of insurrection,” and “From boundary to displacement.” Apart from The Blessed, highlights include Ghost Hunting, Of Fathers and Sons, and The Reports on Sarah and Saleem.
Films previously unseen in Brazil are documentaries Erased,___ Ascent of the Invisible (Lebanon, 2018, 76 min), by Ghassan Halwani; Ghost Hunting (France, Palestine, Switzerland, Qatar, 2017, 94 min), by Raed Andoni; Panoptic (Lebanon, 2017, 69 min), by Rana Eid; and the drama Benzine (Tunisia, 2017, 90 min), by Sarra Abidi.
Foreign Body (France, Tunisia, 2016, 92 min.) is the fourth feature film by Tunisia’s Raja Amari, starring Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass, who visited Brazil last year. The trailers of some of the movies are available at the end of this article.
Tickets go for BRL 3.50 for retirees, students, disabled persons and attested public school workers; BRL 6 for Sesc members and their families; and BRL 12 (full price).
The Arab World Film Festival will also feature 20 movies at São Paulo’s Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB) from October 16 to 28. The movies are yet to be disclosed.
History
The Arab World Film Festival was first held in 2005, a year after the inception of the non-religious, non-profit organization ICArabe.
The event is designed to introduce Brazilian audiences to Arab and Arab-themed movies, helping dispel stereotypes and portray the reality of Arab countries.
For additional information, including synopses and session times, check out the Festival’s Facebook page and website. The full schedule is available in this article, after the trailers.
Trailers
The Blessed
Erased, ___Ascent of the Invisible
Ghost Hunting
Panoptic
Benzine
Foreign Body
Quick facts
14th Arab World Film Festival
August 7-14
Cinesesc
Rua Augusta, 2075
Cerqueira César, São Paulo
Ticket prices: BRL 3.50 – BRL 12
Festival website
Schedule
August 7, Wednesday
8:30 pm – Opening and showing of The Blessed, featuring director Sofia Djama
August 8, Thursday
3 pm – Panoptic
5 pm – Of Sheep and Men
7:30 pm – The Blessed
9:30 pm – Debate featuring director Sofia Djama. Moderator: Flávia Guerra
August 9, Friday
3 pm – Erased,___ Ascent of the Invisible
5 pm – Panoptic
7 pm – Unveil – featuring director Joy Ernanny – and Foreign Body
9 pm – The Reports on Sarah and Saleem
August 10, Saturday
3 pm – Of Sheep and Men
5 pm – My Favorite Fabric
7 pm – Ghost Hunting
9 pm – The Reports on Sarah and Saleem
August 11, Sunday
3 pm – Unveil – featuring director Joy Ernanny – and Ghost Hunting
5 pm – Of Sheep and Men
7 pm – Of Fathers and Sons
9 pm – My Favorite Fabric
August 12, Monday
3 pm – Of Sheep and Men
5 pm – Benzine
19 pm – Erased,___ Ascent of the Invisible
9 pm – Foreign Body
August 13, Tuesday
3 pm – Of Fathers and Sons
5 pm – A Magical Substance Flows Into Me
7 pm – Benzine
9 pm – Panoptic
August 14, Wednesday
3 pm – My Favorite Fabric
5 pm – A Magical Substance Flows Into Me
7 pm – Erased,___ Ascent of the Invisible
9 pm – Ghost Hunting
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
