Day 2 of the Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) on Saturday 11th October witnesses the debut of fresh Arab filmmaking talent, one of the hottest documentaries on the international film festival circuit and MEIFF pays tribute to one of most established filmmakers in the Arab world, Nacer Khemir.
MEIFF has discovered fresh, upcoming Egyptian director, Amr Salama and will debut his first feature film On a Day Like Today (Zay Elnarda). Tipped as a promising new talent, Salama’s inaugural film is being widely regarded as the landmark of the flourishing Egyptian cinema arena this year. With its content and style, On a Day Like Today is a true surprise and an expression of love for the art of cinema.
On a Day Like Today is competing in MEIFF’s ‘International Competition for Feature Films’ and is premiering alongside seven other regional films from the UAE, Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon and Syria throughout MEIFF.
A former Sudanese child soldier turned international hip hop star is the subject of US director Karim Chrobog’s documentary War Child. Based on the true story of Emmanual Jal, a rising star in the global music scene, the documentary follows Jal’s journey from misery and poverty through to finding redemption and healing through music.
War Child is a firm favourite on the film festival circuit, winning the ‘Audience Award’ at its North American premiere at this year’s Tribeca International Film Festival. Director Karim Chrobog and Emmanual Jal will be holding a MEIFF press conference following the screening of the documentary on Saturday.
MEIFF also pays tribute to one of the most established filmmakers in the Arab world, Nacer Khemir with the screening of his award-winning film - The Dove’s Lost Necklace (Tawq Al-Hamama Al-Mafqoud, 1990) – and an exclusive invitation-only tribute dinner being held at Emirates Palace in honour of his 60th birthday.
The central film in a trilogy, The Dove’s Lost Necklace won the Jury Prize at the 1990 Locarno Film Festival, and is a visually ravishing folktale reminiscent of ‘The Thousand and One Nights’.
Paris-based director Nacer Khemir - also a poet, painter and professional storyteller – comments: “The film takes place in Moslem Andalusia of the 11th century….Andalusia has been the meeting place of many cultures, a living dialogue of the peoples and religions whose traces can still be deciphered in texts, music and gardens all the way from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. This is not an Andalusian love story, but Andalusia as the very essence of love, through its perfumes, poetry and gardens.”
