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DETERMINATION aka RESOLUTION AL AZIMAH Kamal Salim, Egypt, 1939; 108 minutes A classic film of Egyptian cinema, marking the beginning of the realist tradition: Boy meets girl, but unlike most early films the boy is a credible representation of a young man from a traditional quarter. Anwar Wagdi plays the upper-class fop against whom the hero is contrasted. Friday, November 1: 2 pm Tuesday, November 5: 4:30 and 9 pm
FOOL'S ALLEY DARB AL-MAHABIL
In Saleh's debut film, the local fool finds a winning lottery ticket in a neighborhood. Suddenly, all of the relationships in the community are transformed, as if a veil had been removed. Everyone fights for the wealth, brother against brother, until the fool finds a very foolish place to hide this disruptive element-and saves them all. Friday, November 1: 4:15 pm* Monday, November 4: 4:15 and 8:30 pm
THE BEGINNING AND THE END aka THE DEAD AMONG THE LIVING BIDAYAH WA NIHAYAH Salah Abou Seif, Egypt, 1960; 130 minutes The Beginning documents the inexorable slide of a middle-class family down the socioeconomic ladder. A plain daughter-seduced and abandoned-is forced into prostitution, and her older brother finds no way to make a living except by dealing drugs. The two combine their earnings to send a younger sibling (Omar Sharif) to military school so that he can become a respectable officer. But it seems that none of them can truly escape the downward spiral of their lives. A superb performance by Sharif, and Sana' Gamil as the plain sister is heartbreaking. Friday, November 1: 6:45 pm Sunday, November 3: 2 pm
THE FLIRTATION OF GIRLS
Anwar Wagdi, Egypt, 1949; 120 minutes A screwball musical that turns surreal toward the end, featuring performances by four of the top stars of the 40s: Anwar Wagdi, Leila Murad, Naguib al-Rihani (his last and best work) and Youssef Wahbi. A poor schoolteacher is hired by an aristocratic father to give private lessons to his failing daughter. The teacher falls in love with his pupil, but keeps his emotions to himself, while saving her from a number of romantic mishaps. The music is excellent and the dialogue often witty and fast-paced enough to rival an American screwball comedy. Saturday, November 2: 5 pm Sunday, November 3: 9 pm
CAIRO STATION BAB AL-HADID Youssef Chahine, Egypt, 1958; 90 minutes Cairo's main railroad station is the setting for society in small, a community comprised of luggage carriers and soft-drink sellers who live in abandoned traincars. A crippled newspaper dealer, Kinawi (played by the director himself), falls madly in love with a beautiful and indifferent lemonade seller, who has eyes only for the handsome Abu Sri'. Swept away by his obsessive desire for Hanuma, Kinawi kidnaps her, with terrible consequences. This Chahine masterpiece explores sexuality and repression, madness and violence, among the marginalized. Wednesday, November 13: 2 and 6:15 pm
STARS IN BROAD DAYLIGHT NUJUM AL-NAHAR Usama Muhammad, Syria, 1988; 115 minutes In his debut feature film, The director explores the inexorable dissolution of a family, ironically during the planning of a wedding, the kind of ritual that ought to bond family members together in shared joy. As both bride and her blind brother look for a way out, Stars exposes the divisive dynamics of patriarchal oppression, and the terrible connections between familial and sociopolitical violence. Saturday, November 2: 9:30* Wednesday, November 6: 4 and 8:30 pm
KIT KAT Daoud Abd al-Sayyid, Egypt, 1991; 112 minutes Based on a novel by Ibrahim Aslan, Kit Kat is the poignant story of Sheikh Husni, a blind man who has mastered the art of appearing as though he has some sight. He inserts himself into the life of everyone in his poor neighborhood, trying to squeeze every drop of life from every minute of the day and night. His passionate love of life eventually touches all he encounters. Sunday, November 3: 4:30 pm* (producer Hussein Kalla) Thursday, November 7: 2 and 6:15 pm
NAHLA Farouk Beloufa, Algeria, 1979; 120 minutes A recognized classic of the Arab screen but unfortunately little-seen by audiences, Beloufa's film has had a problematic history, and its troubles with censorship and banning has made it a critic's cult film. Nah'la has been called the most important film in Algerian cinema, as it explores both women's issues as well as Arab nationalism. A Palestinian singer, Nah'la loses her voice on stage every time she sings the word "I"; her plight suggests that of silenced Palestinian people everywhere. She becomes involved with Larbi, an Algerian reporter, a quintessential observer who can commit to nothing-though he's earching for his Arab roots. Sunday, November 3: 7 pm* Wednesday, November 6: 2 and 6:15 pm
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Tewfiq Saleh, Egypt, 1955; 90 minutes
GAZL AL-BANAT
