Programme 8
Leave Us Be (2016)
Director: Sara Aboubakr Tallawi
Egypt
Experimental | 13 min
Arabic with English subtitles
A low-income family group, whose members do not speak, suddenly appears in a Cairo neighbourhood, only to be chased away by everyone but one young woman. Will they try to stay?
Not Yet (2017)
Director: Bandar Sawai
Jordan
Experimental ǀ 17 min
Arabic with English subtitles
In this crime story, a man is accused of killing a resident of his building. Can the accused prove his innocence?
The Father Might Die at the End (2017)
Director: Abdulrahman Salem
Egypt
Narrative | 7 min
Arabic with English subtitles
After her mother’s death, a teenage girl is living in Cairo with her elderly father, but the two family members are having immense trouble connecting with one another. One day the girl decides the time has come to kill her father.
Sama (2017)
Director: Hind Anabtawi
United Arab Emirates
Narrative | 21 min
Arabic with English subtitles
Sama is in denial over the recent death of her twin brother, Mousa. On their birthday, she decides to visit his grave for the first time in order to fulfil an old promise. She sneaks into the graveyard, knowing she is not allowed to be there.
Mohammed Rafi Fan Blog (2017)
Director: Nihaal Faizal
India
Documentary | 31 min
Malayalam with English subtitles
Mohammed Rafi Fan Blog examines the links between the director’s paternal family and the legendary Bollywood playback singer Mohammed Rafi. The film traces stories around lost recordings of Rafi’s performance at the director’s grandparents’ wedding and his uncle’s blog about the singer, which was deleted in 2014.
I Have a Picture: Film No. 1001 in the Life of the Oldest Extra in the World (2018)
Director: Mohamed Zedan
Egypt
Documentary | 72 min
Arabic with English subtitles
Through the interactions between two film directors and a longtime film extra, this documentary questions the distinction between real and fake. A game of power between assistant director and director leads to the realisation that we all live our lives as extras, ‘accessories’ in the background who wait for the chance to become a star.