The four Egyptian films featured at the Berlinale are Al Mosta'mera (The Settlement) by Mohamed Rashad, Daye: Seret Ahl El Daye (The Tale of Daye's Family) by Karim El Shenawy, East of Noon by Hala Elkoussy, and the short film Akher Youm (The Last Day) by Mahmoud Ibrahim.
The Settlement premiered in the newly introduced Perspectives for First Features competition, vying for the Best First Feature Award funded by GWFF alongside 13 other films. The jury for this segment includes Tunisian-Canadian director Meryam Joobeu, French actor and filmmaker Aïssa Maïga, and Spanish producer María Zamora. Egypt's Ambassador to Germany, Mohamed El Badri, Minister Plenipotentiary Youmna Osman, and veteran Egyptian actor and President of the Cairo International Film Festival, Hussein Fahmy, attended the screening.
The film explores the lives of factory workers in Alexandria through the eyes of two brothers, Hossam and Maro. A month after their father died in a factory accident, 23-year-old Hossam takes a job at the same factory to support his family. Offered as compensation for their father's death, the job draws in Maro, his 12-year-old brother, who insists on leaving school to join him in the harsh world of labour. The film features newcomers Adham Shoukry, Ziad Islam, Hajar Omar, Mohamed Abdel Hady, Emad Ghoneim, and Hanady Abdel Khaliq.
Actor Ahmed Helmy celebrated the European premiere of The Tale of Daye's Family alongside director Karim El Shenawy, scriptwriter Haitham Dabbour, and actors Aseel Omran and Badr Mohamed. The film was screened in the Generation 14plus competition, which highlights contemporary films about children and teenagers. It competes among 10 feature-length and 10 short films for the Crystal Bear and three other awards.
The film premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival last December. It follows Daye, a 14-year-old Nubian albino boy with a golden voice. Bullied for his unique appearance and abandoned by his father, Daye dreams of becoming a singer like his idol, Mohamed Mounir. Accompanied by his family and music teacher, Daye embarks on a road trip from Aswan to Cairo to audition for The Voice, exploring themes of identity, ambition, and family bonds.
East of Noon by Hala Elkoussy was screened as part of the Critics' Week, featuring among 17 films selected this year. The black-and-white film, which had its world premiere at the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, also participated in the Red Sea Festival and the Rotterdam International Film Festival. It tells the story of Abdo, a rebellious young musician, and his love interest, Nunna, as they dream of escaping their oppressive hometown.
Mahmoud Ibrahim's five-minute documentary The Last Day was screened in the Forum Expanded section. It follows two brothers, Ziad and Moody, on their final day at the family home before it is demolished as part of a city development plan. As they pack their belongings, they hear news of home demolitions in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, casting a sombre shadow over their loss.
Beyond Egyptian cinema, Berlinale also showcases films from other Arab countries. Syrian filmmaker Ameer Fakher Eldin presents his second feature, Yunan, competing for the Golden and Silver Bear awards. Starring Lebanese actor Georges Khabbaz, German actress Hanna Schygulla, and actors Ali Suliman, Sibel Kekilli, Nidal Al Achkar, and Tom Wlaschiha, the film follows Munir, a depressed Arab writer living in Hamburg. Seeking solitude, Munir travels to a remote island, where he encounters Valeska, a compassionate woman who helps him rediscover his will to live. Born in Kyiv to parents from Syria's Golan Heights, Fakher Eldin presents Yunan as the second instalment in his Homeland trilogy, exploring themes of identity, exile, and isolation.
The festival also features two Arab documentaries in the Panorama section. Khartoum, co-directed by Anas Saeed, Rawia Alhag, Ibrahim Snoopy, Timeea M Ahmed, and Phil Cox, is a Sudanese, UK, German, and Qatari co-production that follows Sudanese refugees grappling with the trauma of war. Yalla Parkour by Areeb Zuaiter, a co-production from Sweden, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Palestine, documents the director's return to Gaza, where she connects with young parkour enthusiasts navigating life amid destruction.
The 75th Berlin International Film Festival runs from 13 to 23 February.
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