(Photo: Still from Summer 70)
Summer 70 is a film directed by celebrated Egyptian artist, puppeteer, art director and filmmaker Nagy Shaker and Italian filmmaker Paolo Isaja
The 66 minute film is rendered a classic of experimental film in Egypt, and was made whilst Shaker was studying theatre at the Italian fine arts university in 1970.
The silent black and white film is unscripted, with no arch narrative, and no results or conclusions, exploring the idea of freedom during the second half of the 20th century.
At the start of the 1970s, when youth were rebelling and a counter culture was spreading through the air, the two filmmakers met and shared a desire to experiment with film as a medium.
Armed with nothing but their 16 mm camera and a very limited budget, Summer 70 emerged as a result of their experimenting.
The central character is a young American with Italian roots named Gloria, who visits Rome in search of her ancestry.
Through both directors’ visions, we see their impressions of Gloria in search for her identity.
The film was screened in the San Marino International Experimental Film festival in 1972, then screened many times in experimental cine clubs across Europe.
In 2010, the film was included in MoMa's Mapping Subjectivity film series and was added to the experimental film collection at the museum.
A live performance by French saxophonist Francois Jeanneau, winner of Music Grand Prix in 1991, will accompany the performance at the French Institute.
Programme:
Wednesday 18 May at 7pm
French Institute, 1 Madrasset El-Hoqooq street, El-Mounira, Cairo
For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
Short link: