The Ismailia Festival for Documentaries and Shorts opens in the Swiss “Farah”
The management of the Ismailia International Festival for Documentary and Short Films, which is held by the National Film Center headed by the scriptwriter "Mohamed Al-Basousy", has chosen to open the 22nd edition of the festival headed by the film critic Essam Zakaria "with the Swiss film "Farah" directed by: Julia Banter.
Critic Essam Zakaria, head of the festival, said: The long documentary film takes place in "80 Minutes", where it paints a picture of modern Cairo and the society in which it must confront today's generation, the pressure of deep-rooted traditions, and the cultural and economic turmoil that forces Egyptian society to rediscover itself through three socially different pairs. culturally and religiously.
He added: As for the film's director, "Julia Bunter," she was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1990, and studied cinema at the Art School in Lausanne. Her graduation project was presented as "Day of the Dr." At several international festivals, including the Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival, she directed the short documentary "At Home" in 2015, and "Farah", her first feature-length documentary.
The director of the film talked about her experience of making it, and said: I moved to Cairo in 2015 to make this film, and fell in love with this country and its capital, and its social structure, which is characterized by complexity and attractive contradictions, which can be fascinating and disturbing at the same time. Rather than presenting marriage as an eternal union between two people, the film attempts to use it as an excuse to talk about men and women, and the social pressures that young couples face every day.
Julia Bunter continues, saying: Egypt is currently striving for development, and its society is torn between Western ideas of freedom and the desire to respect the traditional roles of men and women in society. In trying to discover the components of marriage in this country, I was struck by the cruelty of social restrictions and their intrinsic violence against individuals. However, I did not consider the necessity of marriage as a problem that young Egyptians should get rid of in order to live free and happy.
She said: "The family is a basic pillar of this society, and marriage is inevitable. The film presents this as fact without questioning its legitimacy. Moreover, even if young couples are not suspicious of the institution of marriage, they ask questions, and it is precisely these moments of doubt that excite me. Egyptian society practices a form of violence towards the individual, but in my opinion it is not a kind of “clash of civilizations. The social pressure associated with marriage is present in Switzerland as well, but it is more violent in Egypt, and most importantly it takes a different form. The film explores this difference without judging it.” Or condemn it, but it confirms my point of view on some questions.I hope, in presenting the contradictions and paradoxes of the film's heroes, that their humanity emerges behind these differences.
She concludes: Between the sense of humor and the emotions that result from the importance of the ideas presented, I wanted a strong, intense and gentle film at the same time, like Cairo and My Heroes. By providing an opportunity for the intimate, honest voices of my heroes, the film allows us to learn about the aspirations and fears of Egyptian youth today.
It is noteworthy that the Ismailia Festival is held annually by the National Film Center in Ismailia Governorate, and it is held this year with all preventive and precautionary measures taken to maintain the security and safety of our guests and all participants in the festival.
The Ismailia Festival is one of the oldest festivals in the Arab world and the first Arab festival that specializes in documentaries and short films. Its first session began in 1991.