Photo: Still from The Gate of Departure
Kareem Hanafy’s feature length film, The Gate of Departure, was selected as the Egyptian entry for the Cairo International Film Festival competition.
At first glance, Hanafy’s film seems more of a critic’s film than it is for the standard audience. It is beautifully shot and provides the viewers with plenty to contemplate. However, it is a very personal journey which carries much emotion and without the imagination to capture what the lengthy shots aim to portray the viewer may be lost.
What’s more it lacks a plot, it revolves around various themes such as sorrow, waiting and death but does not offer a narrative. A lot of the time the overdrawn scenes are just reflections of emotions, with symbols that are difficult to decipher.
Hanafy’s film gives credence to the term ‘moving picture’. The shots are beautiful, though sometimes over-stylised, but they are like picturesque portraits that move slowly. Attention is given to detail, in the objects in the spaces. The camera pans slowly thoroughly uncovering the scene. At times it feels very lonely, as silence fills the hall broken only by the sound of footsteps.
It was not well received by many attending, as at different times the number of phone backlights reached close to fifteen according to my count. At the end of the screening many were commenting about being unable to understand what the film was about.
The Gate of Departure is a highly experimental film that caters to a more specialized audience interested in very slow paced extended shots, silent film and abstract visuals. To the normal cinema goer interested in a story and a narrative it may prove tedious and confusing.
The film will be screened in El-Hadara 2 hall, Wednesday 12 November at 2.30pm.
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