Programme 5
Dimmed Light (2017)
Director: Waleed Alshehhi
United Arab Emirates
Narrative ǀ 8 min
Arabic with English subtitles
This film is a poetic response to an unlit wick inside a broken lantern, which is located in an exterior space seemingly destroyed by war or an earthquake. The wick is a source of light in the darkness, but will it be able to restore the lantern’s light so it can shine again?
A Regular Day (2018)
Director: Abdulla Al Benhumdah
Saudi Arabia
Narrative ǀ 6 min
Arabic with English subtitles
In the middle of the night, two men drive into the desert to complete a mysterious errand.
Stone on the Road (2016)
Director: Mohammed Bloshi
Kuwait
Narrative ǀ 8 min
Arabic with English subtitles
The manager of a company tests the applicants for a new job by pretending to be a beggar at the entrance to the company. After encountering their varied reactions, he goes back to the office to meet them and share the results of this surprise assessment.
Chess Turn (2017)
Director: Ramy Ayman
Egypt
Narrative | 15 min
Arabic with English subtitles
Judge Hazem Al Hawari refuses to take a bribe from Haj Mahmoud Al Qassas and his corrupt lawyer Munir Makram, which they offer in exchange for the release of Haj Al Qassas’ son. Reporting them to the police makes Al Hawari the target of an assassin. Will he survive?
Human (2017)
Director: Issam Taachit
Algeria
Narrative | 7 min
Arabic with English subtitles
A young boy with Down syndrome goes to a stadium to play football, only to be bullied and pushed into the grass. Feeling sad, he lies down on the grass and dreams of a world full of children with Down syndrome. He wakes to a pleasant surprise.
Balloons (2018)
Director: Mohamed Mokhtar
Egypt
Narrative ǀ 6 min
Arabic with English subtitles
Despite his limited means, a father wants to surprise his son with helium balloons on his birthday. This animated film revolves around a moment of excitement.
Straight Outta Cairo (2018)
Director: Mohamed Higazy
Egypt
Documentary | 15 min
Arabic with English subtitles
Egyptian documentary film examines the artistic environment of the underground independent art scene in Cairo through the experience of four artists.
In the Name of God 333 (2018)
Director: Abdelrahman Nached
Egypt
Experimental | 5 min
Arabic with English subtitles
This experimental film simulates perceptions and self-reflection in an attempt to translate internal conflicts and alienation to the screen. The director believes that failure on both personal and national levels can best be reflected in the Arabic song if you go east, you will find yourself going west (2014).
Asphalt (2016)
Director:Ali Hammoud
Lebanon
Documentary | 70 min
Arabic with English subtitles
Two truck drivers, one Lebanese and one Egyptian, make their living on asphalt roads that stretch miles across the ever-changing Arab landscape. Asphalt takes viewers on a journey to examine the subtle relationship between man and machine, providing a reflection on life from behind the wheel.