SAFAR: A JOURNEY THROUGH POPULAR ARAB CINEMA
Organisation: The Arab British Centre
Time: 21 September 2012 3:00pm - 27 September 2012 9:00pm
Place: ICA, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH
The Arab British Centre in association with the ICA presents:
FULL PROGRAMME ANNOUNCEMENT FOR
SAFAR: A JOURNEY THROUGH POPULAR ARAB CINEMA
21 - 27 September 2012 at The ICA
The Arab British Centre in partnership with the ICA and Dubai International Film Festival are pleased to announce the full programme for Safar: A Journey Through Popular Arab Cinema, the most ambitious season of popular Arab film ever seen in the UK.
This week-long series of classic and contemporary popular cinema will take audiences on a journey of gripping dramas, subversive comedies and exaggerated melodramas, taking in an array of rarely seen and re-mastered cinematic masterpieces as well as new releases, many never before seen on British screens. An unmissable and irreverent slice of Arab life, full of unexpected surprises.
The programme explores a fifty-year period of filmmaking that demonstrates the diversity and complexity of Arab cinema. Focusing on Egyptian cultural production (as the historical epicentre of Arab cinema), the programme also includes recent popular hits from Lebanon and Jordan.
The series avoids presenting cultural stereotypes of the conflicted present without shying away from controversy. Instead, Safar: A Journey Through Popular Arab Cinema invites audiences to experience local popular culture and debate film’s effectiveness in conveying social histories.
With so many Arab countries in the midst of restructuring themselves both politically and socially, it seems more urgent than ever to give these films a platform in the UK. Including literary adaptations such as The Yacoubian Building and box office smash-hits such as Bosta, as well as films starring cinematic icons such as Adel Imam, a pre-Lawrence of Arabia Omar Sharif, and contemporary stars Nadine Labaki and Khaled Abol Naga, Safar: A Journey Through Popular Arab Cinema offers a rich programme that is accessible to both mainstream British audiences and fans of World Cinema alike.
Screening highlights include:
• Bosta - the first post-war musical made in Lebanon and a box office record-breaker starring Caramel actress Nadine Labaki.
• Terrorism and the Kebab – a farcical comedy starring controversial comedy legend Adel Imam, denouncing the absurdity of bureaucracy in modern Egypt. Adel Imam is often described as ‘the Charlie Chaplin of Arab Cinema’.
• Watch out for ZouZou – stars tragic Egyptian screen icon Soad Hosni; a sensual film made before the demise of cultural liberalism.
• Alexandria, Why? – A hugely popular film directed by Arab Cinema’s auteur Youssef Chahine. This charming film is a homage to the Golden Era of the Hollywood musical.
The programme is accompanied by a discussion forum and a series of Q&As with internationally renowned experts, leading actors and filmmakers, including Khaled Abol Naga (One-Zero), Nadim Sawalha (Captain Abu Raed), Hussein Fahmy (Watch out for ZouZou) and Marwan Hamed (The Yacoubian Building).
Safar: A Journey Through Arab Cinema is curated by Egyptian-born, UK-based writer, curator and producer, Omar Kholeif.
Full film listings below, and available to view here.
For further press information, images and interview requests, please contact John Dunning (john@margaretlondon.com) or Hilary Cornwell (hilary@margaretlondon.com) or telephone 020 7923 2891
Full Programme Listings:
All films are in Arabic with English subtitles
Opening Film: Friday 21 September at 20:30
BOSTA (2006) | Click here for details and ticketing info
Saturday 22 September at 18:15
WATCH OUT FOR ZOUZOU (1971) | Click here for details and ticketing info
Saturday 22 September at 20:50
STRAY BULLET (2009) | Click here for details and ticketing info
Sunday 23 September at 15:30
THE BEGINNING AND THE END (1960) | Click here for details and ticketing info
Sunday 23 September at 18:00
ALEXANDRIA, WHY? (1978) | Click here for details and ticketing info
Tuesday 25 September at 19:00
CAPTAIN ABU RAED (2007) | Click here for details and ticketing info
Wednesday 26 September at 18:30
TERRORISM AND THE KEBAB (1993) | Click here for details and ticketing info
Wednesday 26 September at 20:30
ONE-ZERO (2009) | Click here for details and ticketing info
Closing Night Film: Thursday 27 September at 18:30
THE YACOUBIAN BUILDING (2006) | Click here for details and ticketing info
Discussion Forum
Friday 21 September at 15:00-18:00
Taking popular histories of Arab cinema as our starting point, this event brings together internationally renowned experts and leaders from both the academic world and the film industry to debate the past, present and the future of Arab cinema as a cultural form. The event will feature lively and provocative debate that questions the place of world cinema in the current filmmaking landscape.
Click here for details and ticketing info
Ticketing
Film Tickets
Full: £10
Concessions: £8
ICA Members: £7
Multibuy offer: book three or more tickets for different screenings for £8 each
Discussion Forum Tickets
£5 (no concessions)
ICA Members: free
Book online: www.ica.org.uk
Box Office: 020 7930 3647
Textphone: 020 7839 0737
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Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, London, SW1Y 5AH