The UK’s largest festival of Arab cinema returns to Oxford with classic and contemporary films from Sudan, Palestine and Jordan, plus some special live events.

Bye Bye Tiberias (Preview) (19 June, 18:30)
Lina Soualem | France, Palestine , Belgium, Qatar | 2023 | 82’ | French, Palestinian Arabic
Closed captions and Audio Description available
Feature documentary

In her early twenties, Hiam Abbass left her native Palestinian village to follow her dream of becoming an actress in Europe, leaving behind her mother, grandmother, and seven sisters.
Thirty years later, her filmmaker daughter Lina returns with her to the village and questions for the first time her mother’s bold choices, her chosen exile and the way the women in their family influenced both their lives.

Wedding in Galilee (23 June, 15:00)
Michel Khleifi | Palestine, Belgium, France | 1987 | 115’ | Arabic
Feature fiction

Wedding in Galilee is a lyrical, passionate tale of a wedding that takes place in an occupied village, and the contemporary tensions, contradictions and hostilities that surround it.
Released in 1987 to much critical acclaim, it is the first feature film entirely shot in Palestine by a Palestinian director and was the first feature of Khleifi, a director now considered the founder of contemporary Palestinian cinema and one of its most original voices.

Goodbye Julia (25 June, 20:00)
Mohamed Kordofani | Sudan, Egypt, Germany, France, KSA, Sweden | 2023 | 120’ | Arabic

Set in Khartoum just before the secession of South Sudan, Mona, a married former singer from the north, seeks redemption for causing the death of a southern man by hiring his oblivious wife as her maid.
Presented in partnership with Moana, attendees can enjoy a taste of Sudan through food and music as part of the screening.

Inshallah A Boy (27 June, 18:00)
Amjad Al Rasheed | Jordan, France, KSA, Qatar | 2023 | 113’ | Arabic
Feature fiction

A powerful feature debut about survival and hope. After the sudden death of her husband, working mother Nawal has to fight for her inheritance in order to save her daughter and home in a society where having a son would be a game changer.

Find more information and book tickets for Oxford screenings here.

SAFAR Film Festival, the UK’s largest festival of Arab cinema, screens in 9 UK cities from 18-30 June and is supported by the British Film Institute, awarding funds from the National Lottery, British Council, Bagri Foundation and Barjeel Art Foundation.
Explore the full programme on www.safarfilmfestival.co.uk