Latest in Culture Highlight
Latest in Culture
Danish camera enters heart of Afghan combat
By Herve Asquin and Bronwen Roberts/ AFP Afghan war film “Armadillo” follows young Danish soldiers deploying against the Taliban for the first time, intimately recording their confrontation with a complicated conflict, the battles, the waiting, the emotions. It is a film that director Janus Metz said “very consciously tried to break with the sort of news …
Philippines comic cuts film amid Catholic protest
MANILA: Angry Catholics forced the Philippines’ "King of Comedy" to delete scenes of his latest film deemed deeply offensive to the country’s dominant religion, the veteran actor said in a television interview. Dolphy said he did not wish to pick a fight with God as his production outfit voluntarily excised the offending scenes of his …
Critical notes: Exhibitions flood Cairo art scene
By Mariam Elias Whether by intention or coincidence, several art institutions scheduled the opening of their latest exhibitions on Dec. 13, the night following the opening of the 12th International Cairo Biennale. Thus, these institutions intend to create events that either rival the Biennale, or that piggyback off of the state organized show’s anticipated success. Mahmoud …
Iraqi cinema makes a comeback at Greek film festival
Iraqi cinema scored a notable first at this month’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece, with one film up for an award and a retrospective of the young director Mohamed Al-Daradji. But although Ebrahim Saeedi’s "Mandoo" (Tired) did not win, both he and Daradji showed that independent Iraqi cinema — whose history dates back more …
Lebanese Civil War drama wins best film at DIFF; Egypt receives best acting prizes
A Lebanese chamber drama set against the backdrop of the Civil War has won best Arabic film on Sunday at the seventh Dubai International Film Festival. George Hachem’s debut feature examines the impact of the war on two Christian families. “Bullet,” which stars “Caramel” director Nadine Labaki, continues its successful streak having won the best …
The Nabatean: A false literary prophecy
By Sherif Azer and Youssef Faltas “By the one two-faced God and by primordial wisdom, I speak the truth. There is none but Mother and Son. From the two, every mother and son come. An embrace to the mother, longing to her son, and to them together birth and recreation. God Eel begotten from Goddess Laat, …
‘Pink Panther’ director Blake Edwards dies
Oscar-winning director Blake Edwards, who made the "Pink Panther" movies and the 1961 classic "Breakfast at Tiffany’s," has died at the age of 88, his agent said Thursday. Edwards, who died Wednesday, worked with cinema legends including Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in a career stretching more than half a century. …
Dig finds statue pieces in pharaonic temple ruins
CAIRO: Archaeologists have found fragments of a statue of an ancient god and a pharaoh in a site that once housed ancient Egypt’s largest funerary temple, the antiquities council said on Thursday. The fragments, a bust of the god Hapi depicted as a baboon and what the council said were the legs of a King …
Keeping art in the family
The art exhibition to commemorate the second anniversary of Darb 1718 provokes a dialogue on how the definition of what can be classified as art has changed over the years. From video installations and animation to collages, a puppet and even a bar lounge and neon signs, the exhibition titled “Fames: Family Vaudeville,” has it …
Brazil opens Niemeyer museum as he turns 103
By AFP Legendary Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer marked his 103rd birthday Wednesday with a gift too big to be wrapped with a bow: a museum bearing his name and dedicated to his illustrious career. “My friends have come to see me. How nice,” he told reporters at a reception unveiling the Oscar Niemeyer Foundation in …
Mixed representation for Egyptian films in Dubai fest
With a staggering eight films participating in the fest’s numerous competitions and section, Egypt has made a triumphant return to Dubai with a solid selection of some of the most hyped movies of this year’s edition. Critical reception of the four major participating films — Mohamed Diab’s “678,” Ahmad Abdalla’s “Microphone,” Hesham Issawi’s “Cairo Exit” …
Artists meet to discuss their role in promoting human rights
CAIRO: In observance of International Human Rights Day, the US Embassy organized a discussion on Monday between Egyptian artists and US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchange Maura Pally regarding the role visual arts may play in promoting human rights. The artists, most of whom are alumni of US government exchange programs, presented …
US to send dancers as diplomats on world tours
By AFP The US government said Wednesday it will send US dance companies in 2012 to east and south central Asia as well as to the Middle East and Africa to act as American cultural ambassadors. “Tours are slated to fan out across the globe beginning in January 2012, when members of the selected US …
Fiennes directorial debut, Wenders 3D pic at Berlin fest
A British drama directed by Ralph Fiennes and a 3D documentary by Wim Wenders on the late German choreographer Pina Bausch will premiere at the Berlin film festival in February, organizers said Wednesday. Fiennes will unveil "Coriolanus," a contemporary reworking of the Shakespeare tragedy about a Roman general who mounts a rebellion against the empire, …
‘Microphone’ hits the right note in unconventional ode to Alexandria music
By Sarah El Sirgany Three men spell out a curse word in Arabic. The three letters rhyme with the rest of their sharp and furious rap. But these seem to be the exact reasons why they are ruled out by a government employee from participating in a public concert. Saleh (Mohamed Saleh), who heads a government …
A healthy dose of culture at Bib Alex
A destination for frazzled Cairenes looking for a more relaxed pace accompanied by a fresh sea breeze and great seafood, Alexandria is often overlooked as a destination for art lovers. This is unfortunate, as Alexandria, and in particular it’s famed Bibliotheca Alexandrina, have a lot to offer in the way of cultural enrichment — from …
Cairo Biennale artists question the contemporary
Modern art reveals a society to itself, laying bare the bones of fleshy discourse. Art never simply is— it asks of us questions we have to search within to answer. Since its inception in 1984, the Cairo Biennale has sought to explore contemporary art, inviting artists this year to shed more light on questions that …
Dubai kicks off 7th festival with eclectic film selection
Amid a blaze of sparkling fireworks echoing from every corner of the Arabian Metropolis, the seventh edition of the annual Dubai International Film Festival kicked off Sunday night, commencing nine busy days of film screenings, industry seminars, workshops and plenty of business transactions. A bevy of film stars descended on Dubai for the biggest film …
Ancient Christian site in UAE opens to visitors
DUBAI: A 1,400-year-old monastery that is the only known pre-Islamic Christian site in the United Arab Emirates has opened to visitors, The National newspaper reported on Sunday. The monastery on Sir Bani Yas island in Abu Dhabi emirate is "believed to be the only permanent settlement ever established on the island" and "the only pre-Islamic …
No Idea: The elephant in the room
By Sarah Atwood A disparate compilation of scenes and verses borne of brainstorming sessions on the streets of London, “No Idea” — starring the Improbable Theater Company’s Lisa Hammond and Rachael Spence — presents a thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining show about public perceptions of and reactions to difference and disability. Hosted by the British Council …
Johnny Depp laments ‘voyeuristic’ modern times
US megastar Johnny Depp says he has mostly learned to tame the media "beast" which constantly stalks him — but makes no bones about what he would do if the paparazzi overstepped the mark. And while acknowledging the demands of global fame, the 47-year-old former "enfant terrible" also lamented the "voyeuristic sensationalism" of modern media …
Oman’s music-loving sultan makes vision reality
Oman’s music-loving Sultan Qaboos is building an Italian-style opera house, a temple dedicated to classical music that will be unique in the Arabian Peninsula. "It is a truly 16th-century Italian opera," Iman Hindawi, general director of the Royal Opera House in Muscat, told AFP in an interview on the sidelines of celebrations marking the sultan’s …
Egypt sweeps top awards at Cairo International Film Festival
In an unprecedented feat that could put the legitimacy of the awards into question, Egypt swept all major awards of the 34th Cairo International Film Festival, earning best picture, best actor, best actress and best Arabic film. The awards were announced Thursday evening at Cairo Opera House’s Main Hall. The low-key closing ceremony was notable …
Musical ‘Emir’ hits a flat note
By Elizabeth Vossen Although it may be considered a feat for Filipino cinema, “Emir” falls flat in the international film scene. “Emir” is an official International Feature Film selection of the 34th Cairo International Film Festival, which marks its Arab premier. Although expectations weren’t particularly high at the outset, “Emir” — the latest film by Filipino …
Change and exchange with Cairo Film Connection
Speculation on the Cairo International Film Festival’s (CIFF) past years of limited exposure, lack of opportunity for budding new talent, and the absence of a space to exchange ideas and works, has prompted a new initiative within the CIFF. Collaboration between the Egyptian Film Center and Misr International Films has resulted in the festival’s first …
‘Ring Road’ tackles organ trafficking
Organ trafficking is a widespread but poorly understood concern in Egypt. Activists and documentarians have largely shied away from this sensitive but important issue, as it serves as a microcosm of many of the world’s more widespread social ills. Egypt is one of the world’s leading destinations for illegal kidney trafficking, and organ sales among …
‘Stray Bullet’ explores love, family during Lebanon’s Civil War
The Arab films at this year’s Cairo International Film Festival have been billed as exceptional, and “Stray Bullet,” a Lebanese entry at the Arab Competition, does not disappoint. The film was directed by Beirut native Georges Hachem and stars director/actress Nadine Labaki of “Caramel” fame. “Stray Bullet” is Hachem’s first feature length production, and was …
‘Piran – Pirano’ hits the mark
Slovenian film “Piran – Pirano,” an official selection of the 34th Cairo International Film Festival, received well-deserved approval from audiences. The film screening on Dec. 8 was followed by a press conference with respected screenwriter and director Goran Vojnovic?. Vojnovic?, born in 1980 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, has only been writing and directing for a short …
CIFF recommended movies for Thursday
The Secret in Their Eyes Directed by: Juan José Campanella. Starring: Ricardo Darín, Soledad Villamil and Pablo Rago. Synopsis: It’s 2974 in Buenos Aires. Benjamín Espósito and Pablo Sandoval, legal investigators at one of the city’s criminal courts, are joined by a new boss, Cornell-trained lawyer Irene Menéndez Hastings. Benjamín and Irene are clearly attracted …
Below-average film selection only has a few surprises to offer
Midway through this year’s edition of the infamous Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), I came to one stark realization: I’ve never watched so many mediocre films in one festival before. Any wishful presumption that Egypt’s biggest film event might finally get its act together this year quickly went down the drain. The Fest’s permanent ailments …