The French Institute will hold a series of screenings under the title Cinema Arabe Guerres Civiles (Arab Cinema Enters Civil War), running between 22 and 26 March.

Mohamed Fatthy Kalfat curated the programme, which includes six documentary and feature films from four countries.

In the midst of political changes in the Arab World the programme explores several questions through cinema, including visualising civil war, and the moral and aesthetic decisions directors take when portraying exceptionally difficult situations in daily life.

The selected films act as studies of Arab civil strife, presenting four emblematic cases of domestic disputes in the history of the contemporary Arab world, as narrated by Arab filmmakers.

Highlights of the programme include three short films by Lebanese director Maroun Baghdadi.

Also, a talk will be led by Kalfat on 24 March bringing excerpts from documentaries and fiction works from Arab and international cinema, examining various treatments of civil wars and revolutions as subjects in cinema.

Some filmmakers will be present for discussing their works and the stories behind them.

Beats of the Antonov will screen on 23 March and will be re-screened at Zawya on 24 March with the presence of director Hajooj Kuka.

Homeland: Iraq Year Zero will screen on 25 March and again on 26 March at Zawya with the presence of director Abbas Fahdel.

The programme concludes on 26 March with Tripoli Tomorrow, the latest work by director Florent Marcie, who will be present for discussion.


Programme:

22 March, 7pm
Révolution Zendj (Algeria, 2014)
With the presence of critic Tahar Chikhaoui

23 March, 7pm
Beats of the Antonov (Sudan, 2014)
With the presence of director Hajooj Kuka

24 March, 7pm
Talk: How do we film civil war?

8pm
Three shorts by Lebanese director Maroun Bagdadi:
La Plus Belle des Mères (The Most Beautiful of Mothers, 1978)
Histoire d’un Village et d’une Guerre (Story of a Village and of a War, 1978)
Guerre sur la Guerre (War over War, 1984)

25 March, 3pm to 9.30pm
Homeland: Iraq Year Zero (Iraq, 2015)
The film will screen in two parts with a 30 minute intermission. Director Abbas Fahdel will be present for a discussion.

26 March, 6pm
Tomorrow Tripoli (France, 2015)
With presence of director Florent Marcie.

French Institute, 1 Madraset Al Hoqouq Street, Mounira, Cairo


Special screenings at Zawya, with timings to be announced:

24 March
Beats of the Antonov (Sudan, 2014)
With the presence of director Hajooj Kuka

26 March
Homeland: Iraq Year Zero (Iraq, 2015)
With the presence of director Abbas Fahdel

Zawya, Behind Odeon Cinema, 4 Abdel Hamid Said, off Talaat Harb st. Downtown, Cairo

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