Banin Ahmad Nayef in a still from ‘The President’s Cake’ courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
The Iraqi helmer’s film premiered in Cannes this year and suddenly, I couldn’t imagine a world without its presence. But it was as if one day, Hasan Hadi’s presence and talent exploded onto our consciousness, ready to take his place in the world of cinema greats.
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As well as a feature doc by Iraqi actress and filmmaker Zahraa Ghandour, a web series by Palestinian storyteller Amer Shomali, Damien Ounouri’s and Adila Bendimerad’s follow up to festival fave ‘The Last Queen’, and shorts by Qatari talents Mahdi Ali Ali and Majid Al-Remaihi.
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All wrapped up with the Lady Gaga starrer ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, Tunisian gem ‘Aïcha’ by Mehdi Barsaoui and ‘Wolfs’ starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt — talk about a festival for the stars!
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A still from the film, courtesy of © Tanit Films, Midi La Nuit, Instinct Bleu
The feature debut by the Oscar-nominated Tunisian-Canadian filmmaker is a cinematic painting, an ode to her ‘Brotherhood’ stars who were not given a visa to travel to the Berlinale. An injustice that seemed to go unnoticed in the midst of all the festival drama.
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A still from ‘Brief History of a Family’ by Jianjie Lin
They include two projects ‘In Competition’, three in ‘Panorama’, one each in the ‘Encounters’ and ‘Generation’ sections.
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I have to say, for a film I immediately disliked, it has stayed with me for a looooong time.
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Lina Soualem’s touchingly personal documentary should be required viewing for anyone who wants to understand the Palestinian struggle, and the true emotional toll of an entire people’s displacement.
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Afef Ben Mahmoud in ‘Backstage’
As the Venice Film Festival’s beloved sidebar turns twenty this year, no longer being a cinematic teenager means celebrating those who have left us in this world, but also looking ahead to some groundbreaking cinema.
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Actress Lyna Khoudri in a still from 'Papicha' by Mounia Meddour
I believe that if there were more women film critics, the business of cinema would be much different. There would be better films made, more communication between what audiences want and filmmakers create, and those projects which portray the truth of our humanity would receive the attention they deserve. 'Papicha' by Mounia Meddour would be one of those projects. Now let me explain what I mean.
‘Papicha’ is now streaming as part of the Virtual Cinema of Film at Lincoln Center, through June 4th. An act of courage if you read my piece!
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Mariam Al Ferjani in a still from Kaouther Ben Hania's 'Beauty and the Dogs'
Films featuring strong women are what I crave. But I won’t buy that typical Hollywood fare, which sells the perfect package of a buff heroine dressed in a shiny costume doing stunts as the perfect woman’s film. Nope. I need a real-life wonder woman to fulfill my cravings.
In Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s latest ‘Beauty and the Dogs’, which world premiered at the Festival de Cannes in their Un Certain Regard section, I found her.
Within the role of Mariam (played to absolute perfection by first-time actress Mariam Al Ferjani), your typical run of the mill modern university girl wanting to have fun on a night out at a club event we learn she helped to organize, I discovered a heroine that transcends the Arab world — Mariam’s story takes place in Tunisia — and jumped off the screen straight into my subconscious. And remained there, juggling with my thoughts, until now.
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