"FOOL EL SEEN
EL AZEEM" an Egyptian Feature length Film
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Next Saturday, April 2 at 3:30
The Giza Club is showing two films. Both films address many issues on
and about Middle Eastern culture and some Islamic issues but they are
also disguised as Kung Fu flicks.
The first movie shown will be "Fighter" and is actually about
a Turkish family living in Denmark and the issues involved in keeping
Muslim traditions alive. The story line is about the heroine's desire
to learn Kung Fu.
The second movie is an Egyptian comedy and the cultural issues come
out in comedic form. As only Egypt does best - this film manages to
poke fun of Egypt and things Egyptian as our hero travels to China in
a case of mistaken identity. The title "Fool el Seen el Azeem"
reminds us that Egypt likes to play with words. "Fool" can
mean "Fool" as in idiot and it can also mean "Fool"
as in Ful or a type of Egyptian bean.
Fighter
A Danish film about a Turkish high school student, Aicha who is obsessed
with kung fu. Her parents want her to go to medical school and be a
doctor like her brother Ali. Defying her family, she secretly trains
at a co-ed kung fu club. This is the story of a strong-willed girl
who does not want to conform to her conservative Muslim culture which
requires her to follow the future that her father dictates.
A Danish film (2009) with English subtitles - 96 min.
Featuring: Behruz Banissi, Cyron Bjørn Melville, Denize
Karabuda, Ertugrul Yilan, Molly Blixt Egelind
Directed by: Natasha Arthy
_______
Fool el seen el azeem
(The Great Fool of China or The Great Beans
of China) translate as you wish.
This is one of comedian Mohamed Henedi's best movies, if not the best
yet. Director Sherif Arafa insisted that Henedi lose weight for this
role, and the result is clear. The jokes are non-stop and the entire
movie is quite action-packed (including kung fu) with quite
a bit of satire, in-jokes and poking fun of Egypt and it's culture in
just the manner that Egyptians do best.
An Egyptian film (2004) first released in the United Arab Emirates with
English subtitles - 105 minutes
Featuring Mohamed Henedi, Hajjaj Abdul Azim and Soleiman
Eid
Directed by: Sherif Arafa
Opening week:EGP 1,182,519 (Egypt) (10 August 2004) (25 Screens)
Gross: $6,634,803 (Egypt) (12 October 2004)Giza events are RSVP
required - space is intimate and will need to limit attendance.
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Potluck movie snacks or drinks - nothing messy please. RSVP required!
As you know - space is an issue, so rsvp soon.
If at some point your schedule changes, please be considerate enough
let us know just in case there is a "wait list".
The Giza Club and the Giza
Film Festival
dedicated to understanding
and promoting good will toward our Middle Eastern neighbors
*****
GIZA SUMMER FILM
FESTIVAL
FRIDAYS AT 8 - JULY
16, AUGUST 20, 27 AND SEPTEMBER 3 2010
rsvps reserve a
chair.
Friday, September
3 at 8 pm
El Lembi
(2002 - One of the highest grossing films in Egyptian cinema)
This comedy stars Mohamed Saad. He is memorable in his role of the "illiterate,
inefficient, slow, stoned and drunk" loveable hero.
In our usual roughly democratic way, in discussion after the July 16
showing, we decided to make the theme of our Summer Giza Film Festival
"no theme" or rather, an eclectic mix of the old with the
new but always including Middle Eastern and Egyptian cultural references
- plus including music and/or dancing.
It is pretty hard
to find a movie, at least an Egyptian movie, without music and dancing,
because it is so much a part of their innate culture.
****
Friday, August
27 at 8 pm
A Citizen, a Detective and a Thief,
2001- On the list of Egypt's top 100 films ever made.
"It is an accomplished examination of the social circumstances
of our times,"
"Social commentary dressed as comedy" featuring Shaabi singer
Abdel-Rehim Shaaban ... Al Ahram Egyptian
newspaper
"CULTURAL'
DOUBLE FEATURE ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 20 at 8 pm
First Film:
Between Two Notes
- a film by Florence Strauss - 2006
(running time approx. 84 min) - a documentary
From the liner notes: "What do Cairo, Tel Avivi, Beirut, Damascus
and Aleppo have in common? In today's troubled world, these cities share
a common heritage: that of classical Arab music. Filmmaker Florence
Strauss sets out from Paris in search of the roots of this timeless
art while uncovering a hidden aspect of her own identity.
This sensual road movie pays tribute to the musicians and poets who,
through their art, perpetuate a part of Middle Eastern history. An ode
to the blending of cultures, the film celebrates the generosity of a
land once associated with the Garden of Eden, Linking people,, music
and place, it establishes a new kind of spatial-temporal unity: one
of the last utopias. Between Two Notes is, above all, music from
the heart that conveys the history of our humanity in all its complexity."
In 2007 this film was shown at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
with co-sponsor Cinemayat, the Arab Film Festival. Initially both groups
received flack from their supporters, but upon viewing, the unified
audience showed that "the theme of unity and crossing boundaries"
carried the movie. Politics doesn't enter the picture as the film is
about music and musicians.
Second Feature:
(poster of original
1937 program of Nasheed al Amal)
Nasheed al Amal (Song
of Hope) directed by Ahmad Badrakhan - 1937
(running time approx. 90 min.)
Starring the legendary Om Kalthoum. The music for
this film made in 1937, includes songs by Muhammad al-Qasabji are are
among the most Westernized Om Kalthoum ever sang.
Set in '30s Cairo, the legendary Om Kalsoum's second film has some wonderful
songs.
Divorced from her low-life husband, Amal meets Assem, a doctor, who
encourages her to embark on a professional singing and acting career.
When Assem learns that Amal has been meeting another man (her ex-husband
who is trying to blackmail her), he withdraws his offer of marriage
and sails for Alexandria... (Rose Issa/Jana Gough)
See a young Om Kalthoum act (and sing).
In Cairo 2008 a committe headed by Ahmed el Hadari approved a list of
of the 100 most important Egyptian films.
Nasheed al Amal (Song of Hope, 1937) is #2 on the list. (Al Warda al
Beida - White Rose, 1933 with Mohamed Abdel Wehab is #1 - we have a
copy in our archives but it is 1933 quality.)
*******
Ebn Ezz
Friday, July 16 at 8 pm
Dina and Hassan Hosni
(Haven't seen a Hassan Hosni movie
I didn't like)
Ebn Ezz (2001 - running time
107 min.)
written and directed by Sherif Arafa
This is a light comedy about the adventures of a man
born to a rich family who is kidnapped. It stars Alaa Wali Eldein, Hassan
Hosni and the dancer Dina. You've seen Dina dance, now you'll see her
act. The film includes lots of typical Egyptian scenes and examples
of how the other half lives (upper and lower). Egyptians, more that
their Arab neighbors, love to make fun and make fun of. If you haven't
had a chance to see some of Egypt's silly comedies, here's one you dance
lovers shouldn't miss. Lots of fun dance scenes.
Our first movie night featured Ebn
Ezz, a typical Cairo Formula Blockbuster - "a comedy with trashy
singer and a belly dancer". In this case, the belly dancing actress
was Dina. The movie was fun, funny and culturally current. Prior to
the feature film we showed several trailers of other Cairo Blockbusters,
most of them featuring Riko and we showed Dina in a straight dance role
from a prior Ahlan Wa Sahlan festival.
The Giza Film Festival
potluck movie snacks and drinks + rsvp required
The Giza Film Festival
Amina Goodyear and Gregory Burke
***
GIZA FILM FESTIVAL - Winter 2009
Fridays at 8 pm
Nov. 13, Nov. 20
Dec. 11
Jan. 8, Jan. 15
We provide the films
You provide the movie potluck
and the rsvp - required.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13 - 8 pm
"WHATEVER LOLA WANTS" Lola (Laura Ramsey)
is struggling to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer in New York,
but the auditions are disheartening and the rejections are piling up.
On top of it all her day job as a mail carrier is beginning to look
more and more like a permanent gig. By chance, during one of many evenings
she spends commiserating with Yussef, her gay Egyptian neighbor, she's
captivated when he shows her an old video featuring the seductive belly
dancing of Ismahan, one of Egypt's biggest stars. Fate soon intervenes
again when Lola happens to meet Zach, a handsome Egyptian attending
business school in the United States. The two start a whilwind romance,
and through a series of twists, Lola finds herself in Cairo, where she
decides to track down the reclusive Ismahan for lessons. There she learns
not only the secrets of orienta ldance but also the secret of Ismahan's
mysterious past. Director Nabil Ayouch uses Lola's hilariously corn-fed
naivete as a vehicle to explore the comic misunderstandings of cross-cultural
love and the underlying prejudices of both Eastern and Western culture.
He also casts a loving eye over the glorious art of oriental dance and
those who practice it. Lola manages to win hearts and success in the
most unorthodox fashion and to open doors that would otherwise be closed
to a blonde American. Shot on sets in Moroccan studios, Whatever
Lola Wants is surprisingly effective in evoking Cairo. This modern-day,
global fairytale offers plenty of dancing, sparkling costumes, and a
rousing soundtrack - in short, it's loads of fun.
1hr
40 min. Festival version
Dubai International Film Festival, + 44 prizes at international festivals.
Most audience preference awards of any film in 3 years.)
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20 - 8 pm
"THE SECRET OF THE GRAIN"
Set in the rustic port of Sete, The
Secret of the Grain follows Slimane whose growing dissatisfaction
with the shipyard job he's had for the last 35 years prompts him to
try to open his own restaurant. his dream seems out of reach, but his
contagious conviction and persistence work their way into the hearts
of his loyal but dispersed family; the four children from his first
marriage, his ex-wife, current girlfriend and her bright, outspoken
dauther, Rym.
151 minutes
Winner of numerous awards
César Award, 2008:
Best French Film
Best Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Best Original Screenplay: Abdellatif Kechiche
Most Promising Actress: Hafsia Herzi
Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, 2007
Best Director (Eurasia Film Festival): Abdellatif Kechiche
Venice Film Festival, 2007:
Special Jury Prize (ex-æquo / tie, with I'm Not There)
Marcello Mastroianni Prize (for actor or actress in a début role):
Hafsia Herzi
SIGNIS Award - Honorable Mention: Abdellatif Kechiche
Nominated: Golden Lion
Louis Delluc Prize, 2007
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11 - 8 pm
"DUNIA
- KISS ME NOT ON THE EYES"
The cast of A-list Egyptian talent includes
singer/actor Mohammad Mounir and Hanan Turk. Dunia has received
international acclaim from many film festivals but it stirred controversy
when it was screened at Cairo's International Film Festival.
The audience and critics attending the screening were divided between
those who supported and those who attacked the film. Some accused her
(Lebanese director/writer Jocelyn Saab) of defaming Egypt’s image
abroad by shooting scenes in Cairo’s slums. Others were eager to
defend her, supporting the film’s stance against female circumcision
and its call for intellectual freedom
"I had no messages," said Saab. "My message was to take
pleasure in seeing this film and then if you want to think, if you want
to change your mind, [if] you want to talk about it, go [ahead]."
The film follows Dunia, literally "World" (Hanan Turk) as
she discovers the worlds of poetry and dance. Both symbolize her attempts
to venture into life, breaking taboos and discovering her inner self.
Mounir plays Professor Beshir, a literaure teacher who "taught
her not to be afraid of words," as Saab described, and Walid Aouni
plays her dance instructor, who "taught her not to be afraid of
her body."
The film jumps from realism to symbolism, using dance and poetry.
112 minutes
Prix du public, Festival
international de films de Fribourg, Montreal World Film Festival, Dubai
International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Singapore International
Film Fetival and Cairo Film Festival
-----------------------------------------------------
FRIDAY, JANUARY 8 - 8 pm
"WHEN THE VOICES FADE"- 2009 Premiere When the Voices Fade is a portrait
of the Lebanese-Israeli conflict seen through the eyes of a Lebanese-American
dance instructor, Nadia, and an Israeli Defense Forces pilot, Amir.
When the 2006 war breaks out, Amir is called back to duty, for When
the Voices Fade is a portrait of the Lebanese-Israeli conflict seen
through the eyes of a Lebanese-American dance instructor, Nadia, and
an Israeli Defense Forces pilot, Amir. When the 2006 war breaks out,
Amir is called back to duty, forcing him to evaluate his moral objections
to serving again. After Nadia and Amir coincidently meet at a coffee
shop, Amir’s decision to return to Israel becomes more complicated.
Amir’s best friend, Eli, returns to Israel to pledge his service
to the army. Nadia’s sister refuses to leave her home in Beirut,
the seemingly “safe-haven” of Lebanon, increasing her mother’s,
Leila, emotional angst. Despite the powerful voices who are in opposition
to Nadia’s and Amir’s respective sides, they are both able
to reconcile their differences, until Beirut is bombed.
21 minutes
Erika Cohn, Director
Shown with
"THE BAND'S
VISIT"
On an ordinary day, the Alexandria Ceremonial
Police Orchestra arrives in Israel from Egypt for a cultural event,
only find there is no delegation to meet them, nor any arrangements
to get to their destination of Petah Tiqva. When they find their own
ride, they arrive instead at the remote town of Beit Hatikva. Stuck
there until the next morning's bus, the band, lead by the repressed
Tawfiq Zacharaya, gets help from the worldly lunch owner, Dina, who
offers to put them up for the night. As the band settles in as best
it can, each of the members attempts to get along with the natives in
their own way. What follows is a special night of quiet happenings and
confessions as the band makes its own impact on the town and the town
on them.
Eran Kolirin, Director
86 minutes
This witty foreign-language
film nabbed the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes Film Festival 2007
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 15 - 8 pm
"JOURNEY OF DESIRE: A FOREIGN DANCER IN CAIRO"
Photos by Sherif Sonbol
In association with Farida Dance, Yasmina
has written and produced this full-length part documentary, part performance
film, directed by Sara Farouk.
Yasmina says: “This film begins with my own personal journey through
ten years of dancing in Cairo, and endeavours to answer the question
I have been so frequently asked: why would a well-educated middle class
western woman, living in comfort and surrounded by family and friends,
chose to give up all that and become a dancer in Cairo? To become part
of a profession that in the Middle East is not considered respectable,
to live in an alien culture, to struggle through a maze of beaurocratic
impediments, linguistic misunderstandings and physical and artistic
challenges – just to perform on a Cairo nightclub stage? “It
includes a mix of footage documenting the ‘Cairo experience’,
and although it is seen through my eyes, I think many dancers the world
over will be able to find things in it they recognize and identify with.
Although Journey of Desire
is a low budget production, the makers have had the advantage and luxury
of time and inside knowledge to put this film together. It has no outside
agenda, no axe to grind, and is made by and for lovers of Egyptian dance.”
11th
Giza Awards - Best Cultural Documentary
*****
Giza Club Summer Film
Festival - 2008
Sundays at 3 - June 29, July 12 and
July 27
Sunday June 29 at 3 pm
KarKar
KarKar el Hennawy has a terrible
accident on his wedding day that renders him completely crazy.
El Sebou'
This documentary celebrates
the newborn's crossing from a neutral gender and status into a world
of gender differentiation and family hierarchy.
Aida Nour
and a
few dancers other Nile Group & Ahlan wa Sahlan videoed by Amina
2006
829
Elizabeth Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 282-7910 aminajune@aol.com
