A film week running from 1-10 March – hosted by the Goethe Institute in Cairo in collaboration with the French Institute in Egypt – will screen a selection of 15 short feature films and documentaries by Arab and German filmmakers, some of which have premiered in German film festivals such as Berlinale.
Among the highlights of the films presented is Saudi Arabian production Wadjda, which tells the story of a young girl living in Riyadh who longs to buy a bicycle and the difficulties she faces in Saudi society.
Egyptian documentary Om Amira, which featured in this year's Berlinale, will also be shown along with 17 Fouad Street, another documentary about Alexandria's dwindling Armenian community.
Three documentaries on the Egyptian 2011 revolution will also be screened. Moug (Waves) shows the revolution's events in Suez, while Arij - Scent of Revolution follows three characters through their struggles. Finally, Freedom Bus, which does not directly document the revolution, follows an Egyptian who grew up in Germany on his journey back to set up an initiative to spread political awareness in his native country.
All with English subtitles, films will be screened twice: first at the Goethe Institute, Downtown, then at the French Institute in Mounira on the following day. Entry is free, except for special screenings requiring invitations.
Programme:
Saturday 1 March
8pm at Goethe Institute
WAVES/MOUG (invitation only)
(Documentary. Director: Ahmed Nour. Egypt 2013. Duration: 72 mins)
Sunday 2 March
6pm at the Goethe Institute
HOME FROM HOME: CHRONICLE OF A VISION
(Feature Film. Director: Edgar Reitz. Germany 2013. Duration: 230 mins)
Monday 3 March
6pm at the Goethe Institute
MAKING OF HEIMAT
(Documentary. Directors: Jörg Adolph & Anja Pohl. Germany 2013. Duration: 119 mins)
8.30pm at the Goethe Institute
WESTWIND
(Feature Film. Director: Robert Thalheim. Germany 2012. Duration: 90 mins)
6pm at the French Institute
HOME FROM HOME: CHRONICLE OF A VISION
(Feature Film. Director: Edgar Reitz. Germany 2013. Duration: 230 mins)
Tuesday 4 March
6pm at the Goethe Institute
THE PHOTOGRAPHERS BERND AND HILLA BECHER
(Documentary. Director: Marianne Kapfer. Germany 2010. Duration: 94 mins)
8pm at the Goethe Institute
THIS AINT CALIFORNIA (Trailer below)
(Feature Film/Documentary. Director: Marten Persiel. Germany 2011-2012. Duration: 99 mins)
6pm at the French Institute
MAKING OF HEIMAT
(Documentary. Directors: Jörg Adolph & Anja Pohl. Germany 2013. Duration: 119 mins)
8:30pm at the French Institute
WESTWIND
(Feature Film. Director: Robert Thalheim. Germany 2012. Duration: 90 mins)
Wednesday 5 March
6pm at the Goethe Institute
WHEEL OF TIME
(Documentary. Director: Werner Herzog. Germany 2002-2003. Duration: 80 mins)
8pm at the Goethe Institute
LESSONS IN DARKNESS (Trailer below)
(Documentary. Director: Werner Herzog. Germany 1992. Duration: 55 mins)
6pm at the French Institute
THE PHOTOGRAPHERS BERND AND HILLA BECHER
(Documentary. Director: Marianne Kapfer. Germany 2010. Duration: 94 mins)
8pm at the French Institute
THIS AINT CALIFORNIA
(Feature Film/Documentary. Director: Marten Persiel. Germany 2011-2012. Duration: 99 mins)
Thursday 6 March
6pm at the French Institute
WHEEL OF TIME
(Documentary. Director: Werner Herzog. Germany 2002-2003. Duration: 80 mins)
8pm at the French Institute
LESSONS IN DARKNESS
(Documentary. Director: Werner Herzog. Germany 1992. Duration: 55 mins)
Saturday 8 March
6pm at the Goethe Institute
PORT OF MEMORY
(Documentary. Director: Kamal Aljafari. Germany, France, UAE 2009. Duration: 62 mins)
8pm at the Goethe Institute
WADJDA (Trailer below)
(Feature Film. Director: Haifaa Al Mansour. Saudi Arabia, Germany 2012. Duration: 97 mins)
Sunday 9 March
6pm at the Goethe Institute
OM AMIRA (invitations only)
(Documentary. Director: Naji Ismail. Egypt 2013. Duration: 25 mins)
17 FOUAD STREET
(Documentary. Director: Ahmed Nabil. Egypt 2014. Duration: 30 mins)
8pm at the Goethe Institute
EXIT MARRAKECH
(Feature Film. Director: Caroline Link. Germany 2012-2013. Duration: 122 mins)
6pm at the French Institute
PORT OF MEMORY
(Documentary. Director: Kamal Aljafari. Germany, France, UAE 2009. Duration: 62 mins)
8pm at the French Institute
WADJDA
(Feature Film. Director: Haifaa Al Mansour. Saudi Arabia, Germany 2012. Duration: 97 mins)
Monday 10 March
6pm at the Goethe Institute
FREEDOM BUS
(Documentary. Director: Fatima Abdollahyan. Germany 2013. Duration: 95 mins)
8pm at the Goethe Institute
ARIJ – SCENT OF REVOLUTION
(Documentary. Director: Viola Shafik. Egypt, Germany 2014. Duration: 90 mins)
6pm at the French Institute
OM AMIRA (invitations only)
(Documentary. Director: Naji Ismail. Egypt 2013. Duration: 25 mins)
17 FOUAD STREET
(Documentary. Director: Ahmed Nabil. Egypt 2014. Duration: 30 mins)
8pm at the French Institute
EXIT MARRAKECH
(Feature Film. Director: Caroline Link. Germany 2012-2013. Duration: 122 mins)
Tuesday 11 March
6pm at the French Institute
FREEDOM BUS
(Documentary. Director: Fatima Abdollahyan. Germany 2013. Duration: 95 mins)
8pm at the French Institute
ARIJ – SCENT OF REVOLUTION
(Documentary. Director: Viola Shafik. Egypt, Germany 2014. Duration: 90 mins)
Goethe Institute: 5 Al-Bustan St., Downtown, Cairo
French Institute: 1 Madraset Al-Hoqouq Al-Ferensiya, off of Qasr Al-Eini St., Mounira, Cairo
Short link: