Iman (Heba Ali), a 34-year-old woman living in Cairo, is helping her younger sister Noha (Asmaa Fawzi) prepare to get married. In the absence of their parents, and in order to uphold tradition, Iman is forced to find a man from the family to give her sister away. However, beset by divisive social tensions, unexpected health problems, and contentious family negotiations, this proves to be more difficult than she anticipated. A compelling social drama that draws attention to the disconnect between traditional values and modern life, the film tells a familiar story about being a woman in a man’s world. Ali’s performance brilliantly captures the particular ways Egyptian women navigate a culture dominated by men.
Director’s Biography
Mohammed Hammad is an Egyptian director. He has written and produced many short films including The Fifth Pound (2006), Central (2008), and Pale Red (2010), which won several international awards. He has served as a juror for the Cairo International Film Festival and the Ismailia International Film Festival. Withered Green (2016) is his first feature film.
Screening with Short Films:
Photo
Dir. Sawsan Al-Areeqe
2014 | Yemen | No Dialogue | 4 min
SYNOPSIS: A man poses for a photo. Three women stand behind like a backdrop until one of them steps out of the shadows.
DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY: Sawsan Al-Areeqe was born in Yemen. She works as a research assistant at the Yemeni Center for Studies and Research. She is a journalist, a filmmaker, and a poet.
Departure
Dir. Ibi Ibrahim
2017 | Yemen | Arabic with English subtitles | 9 min
SYNOPSIS: Departure is a short film that recounts the struggle of Yemenis displaced by ongoing war. In the film, bird migrations visually represent the current status of the Yemeni citizen, living in exile and in a constant state of waiting.
DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY: Ibi Ibrahim is a multimedia artist from Yemen. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, and the Middle East and is part of various public collections, including the Barjeel Art Foundation and Colorado College.
Sponsors
TWIN CITIES ARAB FILM FEST
Mizna's twelfth Twin Cities Arab Film Fest offers an eclectic program of compelling and provocative contemporary narrative, documentary, and short films made by Arab filmmakers from Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine, Tunisia, and more.
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