Focus 11: Humour in Arabic film
@ALFILMberlin
Humor, in all of its forms – comic, political satire, wit, sarcasm, subtle irony and black humor- is the central theme in this year’s section Fokus 11 from ALFILM- Arabic Film Festival Berlin. Because Arab Films that succeed in Europe mostly cover problematic aspects of Arab society- from the Middle Eastern conflict to the unequal treatment of women to various migration issues- the question of realization depends on representation. Is the picture of humorless Arabs actually a question of perspective? Within a spectrum from Egyptian comedy classics from the thirties about the socially-critical satires to Auteur films of the seventies to contemporary family comedies- the specifics of Arabic comedy film production and the meaning of humor in the Arab culture shall become evident.
The program consists of Classics from Egyptian comedy such as Everything is fine/ Salama fi khair (Egypt 1938, Director: Niazi Mostafa) in which Naguib Al Rihani, the “Father of Egyptian comedy”, plays a store-owner who switches roles with a Prince. In the romantic comedy, The Flirtation of Girls/ Ghazal Al Banat (Egypt 1949, Director: Anwar Wagdi), Al Rihani, alongside the legendary Jewish singer Laila Mourad, enacts a poor home-school teacher, who falls in love with his student. Laila Mourad’s husband Fatin Abdel Wahab played in numerous Egyptian films in the fifties and sixties. ALFILM will view his Gender-Comedy Miss Hanafi/Al Anisa Hanafi (Egypt 1954, Director: Fatin Abdel Wahab), in which a groom suffers from stomach pains on his wedding day; resulting in an emergency surgery that accidentally transforms him into a woman; and last but not least, AHusband´s Confession/ Iterafat zoj (Egypt 1965, Director: Fatin Abdel Wahab) with the recently deceased “Egyptian Monroe” Hind Rostom.
The independent Arabic cinema of the seventies is represented from the to-this-day forbidden satirical documentary The Chickens/Al-Dajaj (Syria 1977, R.: Omar Amiralay), in which the catastrophical destitution of a village, whose residents were guaranteed prosperity through raising chickens becomes an allegory of the political state of affairs. Sun of the Hyena/Ach Chams Wadh Dhiba (Tunesia/Netherlands 1977, Director: Ridha Behi) discusses the struggle of a fishing village against the tourism industry. One of the actual most controversial film producers is Durraid Lahham. His political satires had great influence on later film producers; however, through his support of the Syrian regime in the last months, he has triggered a strong critique amongst the public. With the presentation of Lahhams film The Empire of Ghawar/Imbaratoriyyat Ghawar (Syrien 1981, R.: Marwan Akkawi), ALFILM would also like to open a space for these controversies.
Egyptian mainstream comedy of the eighties is symbolized through the film Stranger in my House/Gharib Fi Bayti (Egypt 1981, Director: Samir Seif), in which a football player and a widow, along with her son are forced to share the same apartment . El Avvocato (Egypt 1984, Director: Raafat El Mihi) is a comical, surrealistic parody of the Egyptian legal system. The Egyptian cult film Kit Kat (Egypt 1991) from the director Daoud Abdel Sayed, one of the most prominent representatives of new realism in Egyptian cinema, tells the story of a confident, widowed and blind musician Sheikh Hosni, who simply ignores his handicap, drives a motorcycle, takes drugs and sees connections that regular people don’t see.
Introduction To The End Of An Argument (Canada 1990, Director: Jayce Salloum, Elia Suleiman) portrays the history of the Middle Eastern conflict by means of non-commentated clips from American motion pictures and exposes racist Clichés in well-known representations.
The present reality of Arab humor is portrayed in four movies from the last ten years. VHS Kahloucha (Tunesia 2006, Director: Néjib Belkadhi) documents the production of a home-made Tarzan action film by the painter Moncef Kaloucha which that brings an entire city-quarter together. Number One (Morocco 2008, R.: Zakia Tahiri) tells the account of a sexist manager, Aziz, whose wife transforms him into a loving husband and considerate boss through a magic potion. Mascarades (France/Algeria 2008, R.:Lyès Salem, 94 min.) is a family comedy illustrating the gardener, Mounir, who wants to marry off his narcoleptic sister and therefore, finds her an Australian suitor. Les Barons (Morocco, Director: Nabil Ben Yadir, Belgium 2009, 111 Min., French with English subtitles) involves three young men in Brussels, who stand between unemployment and the demands of their Arab families and cultivating their theory of strenuous boredom.
The film series: Humor in Arab film will take place between 02. and 10. November 2001 within the framework of ALFILM 11- Arabic Film Festival Berlin in the locations: Eiszeit Kino, Babylon Mitte, Rollberg and HAU.
Alongside the film series, a podium discussion will take place on Sunday 06.11. at 3:00pm in HAU 3 titled “Humor in Arab Film - Between Subversion and Slapstick” moderated by the film producer and film scientist, Viola Shafik. Other guest speakers include director Zakia Tahiri and film producer Ahmed Bouchaala, (Number One), as well as the renowned Egyptian film critic Kamal Ramzy. Further guests have been enquired.
FOCUS 11 is funded by Hauptstadtkulturfonds.
The program consists of Classics from Egyptian comedy such as Everything is fine/ Salama fi khair (Egypt 1938, Director: Niazi Mostafa) in which Naguib Al Rihani, the “Father of Egyptian comedy”, plays a store-owner who switches roles with a Prince. In the romantic comedy, The Flirtation of Girls/ Ghazal Al Banat (Egypt 1949, Director: Anwar Wagdi), Al Rihani, alongside the legendary Jewish singer Laila Mourad, enacts a poor home-school teacher, who falls in love with his student. Laila Mourad’s husband Fatin Abdel Wahab played in numerous Egyptian films in the fifties and sixties. ALFILM will view his Gender-Comedy Miss Hanafi/Al Anisa Hanafi (Egypt 1954, Director: Fatin Abdel Wahab), in which a groom suffers from stomach pains on his wedding day; resulting in an emergency surgery that accidentally transforms him into a woman; and last but not least, AHusband´s Confession/ Iterafat zoj (Egypt 1965, Director: Fatin Abdel Wahab) with the recently deceased “Egyptian Monroe” Hind Rostom.
The independent Arabic cinema of the seventies is represented from the to-this-day forbidden satirical documentary The Chickens/Al-Dajaj (Syria 1977, R.: Omar Amiralay), in which the catastrophical destitution of a village, whose residents were guaranteed prosperity through raising chickens becomes an allegory of the political state of affairs. Sun of the Hyena/Ach Chams Wadh Dhiba (Tunesia/Netherlands 1977, Director: Ridha Behi) discusses the struggle of a fishing village against the tourism industry. One of the actual most controversial film producers is Durraid Lahham. His political satires had great influence on later film producers; however, through his support of the Syrian regime in the last months, he has triggered a strong critique amongst the public. With the presentation of Lahhams film The Empire of Ghawar/Imbaratoriyyat Ghawar (Syrien 1981, R.: Marwan Akkawi), ALFILM would also like to open a space for these controversies.
Egyptian mainstream comedy of the eighties is symbolized through the film Stranger in my House/Gharib Fi Bayti (Egypt 1981, Director: Samir Seif), in which a football player and a widow, along with her son are forced to share the same apartment . El Avvocato (Egypt 1984, Director: Raafat El Mihi) is a comical, surrealistic parody of the Egyptian legal system. The Egyptian cult film Kit Kat (Egypt 1991) from the director Daoud Abdel Sayed, one of the most prominent representatives of new realism in Egyptian cinema, tells the story of a confident, widowed and blind musician Sheikh Hosni, who simply ignores his handicap, drives a motorcycle, takes drugs and sees connections that regular people don’t see.
Introduction To The End Of An Argument (Canada 1990, Director: Jayce Salloum, Elia Suleiman) portrays the history of the Middle Eastern conflict by means of non-commentated clips from American motion pictures and exposes racist Clichés in well-known representations.
The present reality of Arab humor is portrayed in four movies from the last ten years. VHS Kahloucha (Tunesia 2006, Director: Néjib Belkadhi) documents the production of a home-made Tarzan action film by the painter Moncef Kaloucha which that brings an entire city-quarter together. Number One (Morocco 2008, R.: Zakia Tahiri) tells the account of a sexist manager, Aziz, whose wife transforms him into a loving husband and considerate boss through a magic potion. Mascarades (France/Algeria 2008, R.:Lyès Salem, 94 min.) is a family comedy illustrating the gardener, Mounir, who wants to marry off his narcoleptic sister and therefore, finds her an Australian suitor. Les Barons (Morocco, Director: Nabil Ben Yadir, Belgium 2009, 111 Min., French with English subtitles) involves three young men in Brussels, who stand between unemployment and the demands of their Arab families and cultivating their theory of strenuous boredom.
The film series: Humor in Arab film will take place between 02. and 10. November 2001 within the framework of ALFILM 11- Arabic Film Festival Berlin in the locations: Eiszeit Kino, Babylon Mitte, Rollberg and HAU.
Alongside the film series, a podium discussion will take place on Sunday 06.11. at 3:00pm in HAU 3 titled “Humor in Arab Film - Between Subversion and Slapstick” moderated by the film producer and film scientist, Viola Shafik. Other guest speakers include director Zakia Tahiri and film producer Ahmed Bouchaala, (Number One), as well as the renowned Egyptian film critic Kamal Ramzy. Further guests have been enquired.
FOCUS 11 is funded by Hauptstadtkulturfonds.
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