Introduction to Arabic Cinema
Arabic cinemas depend more than ever on showing their productions in international festivals. Over the past 20 years, the number of Arabic films featured in prominent festivals like Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Toronto has significantly increased. The primary reason for this trend is the desire to achieve fundamental success, which benefits not only the film but also its creators and the country it represents.
The Role of International Festivals
The obvious reason for this trend is the desire to combine fundamental success, from which the film and its creators benefit, as well as the country it represents. The role of the state in which the director’s project was born underlines, even if the financing comes from abroad, as is often the case. This process mixes individual ambition with institutional and commercial techniques. Films like "Noura" by Tawfiq al-Zaidi, "Oujda" by Haifa al-Mansour, and "You will be in the twentieth" by Amjad Abu al-Ela are examples of this trend.
A Hidden Reason
Arab films have had a presence in international festivals since the 1970s, but the hidden reason for this trend is the closed Arab production area in Arab markets. The costs of producing a film today are much higher than in the past, with small film budgets sometimes approaching one million dollars, and big films easily exceeding this number. The Arab market does not guarantee the restoration of costs for small or big films, making it necessary for Arab production to seek financial support from European countries and depend on the opportunity to screen films in festivals.
Arabic Content in International Festivals
The Cannes Festival received a variety of Arab films this year. However, the reality is that what is considered Arabic is determined by direction, language, and subject, and this is not sufficient as long as the main financing is not Arab. The Arab director needs an international umbrella to fulfill his film, and first shows it in festivals and then in markets when allowed. Films like "The President’s Cake" by Hassan Hadi and "Eagles of the Republic" by Tariq Saleh were presented in the festival, with the latter criticizing the current judgment and authorities instead of waiting for their departure.
Diverse Storytelling
There is a diverse range of storytelling in these films. "The President’s Cake" tells the story of a little girl who is asked to prepare a cake for the president’s birthday while people live in chaos. "Eagles of the Republic" is an external perspective from a safe place to an unmistakable situation. The Egyptian film "Aisha can’t fly away" by Murad Mustafa focuses on the life of a Sudanese housemaster, while the Tunisian film "A Sky without a Country" by Areej al-Shairi tells the story of heroines living and working in Tunisia.
Artistic Expression
Art does not take a prominent presence in these models, but the difference lies in the treatment method. "The Eagles of the Republic" follows a narrative treatment that belongs to the "Genre" category, while "The President’s Cake" and "A Sky without a Country" adopt a narrative narrative trend. "Aisha can’t fly away" attempts to create an artistic film, but the intention is something, and the implementation is different.
A Look Back
It’s worth noting that this festival marks the 50th anniversary of the victory of the film "The Watch of Years of Embers" by the Algerian director Mohamed al-Khdar Hamina in the golden wagon. This film could have taught and benefited from its elements of history, content, and style, but the majority of employees in the center are not today to return a few steps to yesterday.
