Tahani Rached
Born in Egypt, Tahani Rached kicked off her career in Canada where she studied at Montreal’s School of Fine Arts. After a brief hiatus, Tahani presented her directorial debut, Pour Faire Changement, in 1972, a documentary produced by Le Vidéographe. In 1979, she made her first feature debut, Les Voleurs de Jobs, which was about immigrants in Quebec, Canada. The film was produced independently, and was followed by a series of six half-hour documentaries for Radio-Quebec on Quebec's Arab community. In 1980, Tahani started working for the National Film Board of Canada, as a staff Filmmaker.
Her first film there was La Phonie Furieuse in 1982, a short humorous film about the Walkman phenomenon and people's tendency to isolate themselves from the outside world. This was followed by a series of films including Beyrouth! Not Enough Death to Go Round in 1983, Haiti, Québec in 1985. Tahani's films participated in several international and local film festivals including Cannes International Film Festival in 2006, the Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts, Festival International du Cinema Mediterraneen de Tetouan in Morocco, and the Arab Screen Independent Film Festival, London.
Her most remarkable Films include:
Au chic Resto Pop (1990): Paints a warm and captivating portrait of a popular restaurant in Montreal's Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighborhood of Montreal and of the people working there. A film expressed in music and song, which introduced the musical form into the social documentary.
Doctors with Heart (1993): Raises ethical questions about the treatment of AIDS and examines the doctor-patient relationship in Quebec.
Four Women of Egypt (1997): Introduced the viewer to four women committed to social battles in their country – a plea for tolerance, friendship and social commitment.
Soraida, a Woman of Palestine (2004): Tells the story of a woman who lives in Ramallah, in the heart of the occupied territories.
Neighbors (2009): Depicts the changing nature of the Cairo scene, set in Garden City, from Europeanized chic before the Egyptian Revolution to democratization and disintegration afterward.
Special Screenings:
Deep Long Breath
Synopsis: A documentary that looks at the recent Egyptian revolution through the eye of an Egyptian family.
Country of Production: Egypt
Year of Production: 2012
Duration: 63 minutes
These Girls
Synopsis: It follows the lives of a group of Cairene street girls as they deal with the tragically obstacles one might expect from street life.
Country of Production: Egypt
Year of Production: 2006
Duration: 68 minutes
