Arab Women’s Film Festival 2015
5th edition
6 – 8 March 2015
The Arab Women’s Film Festival celebrates its 5th anniversary with an intensive program, starting Friday the 6th of March, ending Sunday the 8th in the Hague! This festival, the only one of its kind in Europe, aims to give a more nuanced view of the stuggle for emancipation of Arab women. Whether they live in Europe, the Arab world, or far beyond. This year, the central theme will be The mother, who has her own unique problems within Arab cultures.
The fifth edition has more film screenings and related activities then ever before. The festival will also host twice as much filmmakers, journalists and film critics from all over the world.
The festival opens the fifth edition on Friday 6 March in Filmhuis Den Haag, with the Dutch premiere of the Egyptian film Decor. This powerful feature was positively received by press worldwide, including Variety. Its world premiere was held at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival. The story is about Maha, an Egyptian production designer. The story takes an unnerving turn when she finds herself transported into a completely different persona-a married housewife. There will be a buffet for guests following this screening.
The second part will host the Dutch premiere of the feature film Villa Touma, directed by Suha Arraf. In Villa Touma we see three unmarried aristocratic Christian sisters from Ramallah who shut themselves in their villa. They reminisce on former glory, until their orphan niece, Badia, enters their life and turns their world upside down. The 40th Day, a short American film by Shasha Li and The Neighbor, a short Emirati film by Emirati Nayla Al Khaja, will also be shown.
The second day, Saturday 7 March, will kick off with the seminar Women in Lebanese Cinema by film producers Sam Lahoud and Nicolas Khabbaz. During this event, the roles of women throughout the history of Lebanese cinema will be explored, illustrated with footage of Lebanese films. Afterwards there will be an intensive workshop: Write your own Screenplay! This workhop is for everyone who has ever dreamed of writing their own film. The teacher is: Golden Calf-winning actress Marnie Blok, who wrote the screenplay for De Gelukkige Huisvrouw, Kenau and Jackie in cooperation with Karen van Holst Pellekaan.
The European premiere of the feature-length documentary Ode to my Mother, directed by Georges Chamchoum, will be hosted late in the afternoon. Ode to my Mother follows the story of Tahra Abdul Hafiz Al-Siba’i (1933-2011), an acclaimed Saudi Arabian artist, author, poet and mother, whose personal and family triumphs are finally recognized in this documentary. She bucked all traditions, leaving Mecca in her 20’s taking her young children from the Middle East to Africa to Europe so they would receive a good education. The documentary will be preceded by two short Lebanese fiction films, Et Je Vole, directed by Manon Nammour and Where There is Nothing But Water, directed by Mohamed Sabbah. A Q&A with the executive producer of Ode to my Mother, Ferial Masry, will follow.
In the late afternoon, there will be the pre-premiere of IDFA 2014 Audience Award-winner Naziha’s Spring. This feature-length documentary is about Naziha, a Morrocan-Dutch woman who fights to keep her ten children on the right track. She has been struggling for years against the pressure of the Morrocan community in Amsterdam, the government’s interferences and sons who wish she would behave like other Moroccan mothers. The documentary will be preceded by the short films Hend, directed by Stephanie Bou Habib and Ana Aser from director Ramy Rizkallah. Gülsah Dogan, the director of Naziha’s Spring and Naziha Aloued, the main character of the documentary, will be personally present to answers questions from the audience during the Q&A.
Saturdays program will finish with the hilarious stand-up comedy of Eman. Eman is one of Canada’s best stand-up comedians and next to that, one of the one of the most distinguished female Arab comedians of North America. She will give her first European performance exclusively for the film festival.
Sunday the 8th , the third and final day, will kick off in cooperation with Cinema Palestina Werkgroep. Following the screening of feature-length documentary Three Times Divorced, there will be a debate about Palestinian mothers. After a short lunch break, the programme will continue with feature film The Other Son and short filmNation Estate. Another debate will follow after the second part .
In the early evening, Bastards, a feature-length documentary that tells the compelling story of how an illiterate woman took on tradition, her own family and the Moroccan legal system for the sake of her illegitimate child, will know its Dutch premiere. The film will be preceded by the short documentary Om Amira from director Naji Ismail. A Q&A with Deborah Perkin, the director of Bastards, will follow after the screenings.
During the closing of AWFF, the pre-premiere of Mother of the Unborn will take place.This oustanding documentary, directed by Nadine Salib, follows the life of Hanan. Having no option but to live on the fringe of her community because of her infertility, Hanan lingers between a dream that is slowly slipping away and her struggle to find a place where she belongs. The world premiere of the short film I’m Not an Extra, will be part of the closing program as well. Both screenings will be followed by a Q&A with Maartje Alders, the producer ofMother of the Unborn.