Arab cinema continues to impact the international movie scene as four Arab films receive the stamp of approval from the prestigious Cannes film festival.
Although the red carpet glamour had to shelved due to the ongoing global pandemic, the organisers never planned to entirely cancel and instead announced the 56 films that would’ve been part of the event.
Among films by Wes Anderson, Steve McQueen and Francis Lee there are four movies from Arab filmmakers that showcase the richness of regional creativity.
Passion Simple by Danielle Arbid (Lebanon)
Based on 1992 novel by Anne Ernaux and set in Paris, Passion Simple is tale of forbidden love between a married Russian diplomat and a beautiful, but older, teacher and researcher.
Souad by Ayten Amin (Egypt)
Included in ‘The Newcomers’ category, Souad follows a young girl who goes on a journey after her sister commits suicide.
ADN by Maïwenn (Akgeria/France)
Taking a closer look at his own roots, director Maïwenn makes us analyse our own family. It has been shortlisted for the ‘The Faithful’ category which includes directors whose films have been screened in the past at the annual festival.
Broken Keys by Jimmy Keyrouz (Lebanon)
A pianist decides to leave his war-torn Lebanese village after it’s overtaken by extremists who destroy his piano. On his journey he hopes to eventually repair the broken keys and pursue his dream of a music career in Europe.
Elsewhere, 8 short Arab films have been nominated for awards at the Palm Springs International ShortFest.
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