Following the success of its previous editions, the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) continues this year its mission to safeguard and transmit the world’s cinematic heritage. By reviving the Cairo Classics section, the festival does more than honor historical masterpieces: it affirms the belief that preserving cinema’s memory is both a political and artistic act, a reminder that every restored or rediscovered film tells the story of an era, a perspective, and a nation.
Originally created to place Egyptian and international cinema in a heritage-focused context, the section has quickly become a cornerstone of the CIFF. It embodies a dialogue between past and present, offering today’s audience a space to appreciate an art form that can span decades without losing its relevance. True to its commitment to preserving both Egyptian cinema and world cinema, this year’s programming combines restored classics with unexpected rediscoveries.
A Dialogue Across Continents and Generations
The Cairo Classics 2025 selection highlights five films from very different backgrounds, united by a concern for memory and humanity. From the United States to France, and Iraq in between, each film offers a unique approach to exploring humanity in relation to the world and history.
The Citizen (USA, 2012) by Sam Kadi offers a poignant reflection on identity and exile. The story of a young Arab arriving in New York on September 10, 2001, gains new resonance today. Kadi depicts a man overwhelmed by history, trapped in a system where citizenship is a fragile privilege. Restored for this edition, the film regains the emotional impact of its original message: questioning the American Dream through the eyes of the “other.”
Another profound exploration of humanity, The Elephant Man (USA, 1980) by David Lynch remains a modern cinema landmark. The festival presents a restored copy of this masterpiece, which, through its stunning black-and-white imagery, recounts the regained dignity of a deformed man exploited in Victorian fairs. Lynch’s portrayal of John Merrick questions the cruelty of a society fascinated by monstrosity. Including this film in the CIFF program emphasizes universal themes of compassion and difference that resonate across cultures and time.
More unexpectedly, Moi qui t’aimais/C’est Si Bon! (France, 2025) by Diane Kurys is likely included for its subject: the tumultuous romance between Yves Montand and Simone Signoret, an iconic couple of French cinema. Inspired by real events, the film focuses on their relationship and the emotional dimension of their story. Its selection in Cairo Classics illustrates the festival’s willingness to include recent works that recall key figures or moments in cinema history.
A rare gem, Sa’eed Effendi (Iraq, 1956) by Kamiran Hasni, considered one of Iraqi cinema’s early milestones, will be screened in a restored copy. Set in 1950s Baghdad, it sensitively portrays social and familial tensions in a working-class neighborhood. Through the conflict between a schoolteacher and his neighbor, a cobbler, Hasni captures a world where the dignity of ordinary people clashes with strict traditions.
Finally, the festival once again honors David Lynch with The Short Films of David Lynch (USA, 2002), a compilation of shorts made between 1967 and 1995. Often experimental, these works reveal the filmmaker’s aesthetic obsessions—sound texture, dreamlike imagery, the anxieties of everyday life—and shed light on the genesis of a major cinematic oeuvre. Presented in Cairo as a restored program with commentary from Lynch himself, they offer a fascinating immersion into the mind of a creator who turned marginality into visual poetry.
Egyptian Classics: A Mirror of History and Society
Cairo Classics 2025 devotes a significant space to Egyptian cinema, offering an exceptional overview from the 1950s to the 1970s, while also including landmark films from later decades. The selection honors the richness and diversity of Egyptian production, from social and family dramas to historical and artistic reflections, as well as introspective and politically engaged cinema. Twenty-four restored films are featured, from masters such as Youssef Chahine, Salah Abu Seif, Kamal El Sheikh, Hussein Kamal, Henry Barakat, Ezz El-Dine Zulficar, Hassan al-Imam, and Hossam El-Din Mostafa.
Among these, A Woman on the Road (Ezz El-Dine Zulficar, 1958) explores familial tensions and conflicts of loyalty amid social inequality and sibling rivalry. A Crime in a Quiet Neighborhood (Hossam El-Din Mostafa, 1967) immerses viewers in a political intrigue where personal duty collides with historical tragedy. Between the Two Palaces (Hassan al-Imam, 1964), the first part of Naguib Mahfouz’s adapted trilogy, traces Ahmad Abd al-Jawad’s family life before the 1919 Revolution, offering nuanced insights into family, social, and political relations. Khan al-Khalili (Atef Salem, 1966) depicts everyday life in Cairo’s iconic neighborhood, intertwining family drama with social tensions.
Youssef Chahine’s films provide varying perspectives on the artist and history. Alexandria Again and Forever (1989) revisits the state of Egyptian cinema in the late 1980s, blending fiction and reality through Chahine’s interactions with actors and creators. The Emigrant (1994) transposes the biblical story of Joseph to ancient Egypt, exploring faith, knowledge, and human destiny, imbuing the narrative with epic and spiritual dimensions. The People and the Nile (1972) connects individual lives to national projects, here the Nile’s diversion, raising questions of ideals versus progress.
Salah Abu Seif’s films reveal his social and critical engagement: Cairo 30 (1966), an adaptation of Mahfouz, exposes corruption and moral compromise in a changing society, while The Second Wife (1967) denounces patriarchal oppression in villages and the struggle over inheritance and traditions. The Beggar (Hossam El-Din Mostafa, 1973) portrays a man facing moral emptiness and societal contradictions. Films like The Impossible (Hussein Kamal, 1965) or The Mirage (Anwar al-Shanawi, 1970) examine the interplay between individual fate and social constraints, where personal relationships clash with conventions and authority.
Other works scrutinize power and its excesses: Something of Fear (Hussein Kamal, 1969) depicts village tyranny as an allegory of oppressive authority, Sunset and Sunrise (Kamal El Sheikh, 1970) delves into political intrigues on the eve of the Revolution, and Quail and the Autumn (Hossam El-Din Mostafa, 1967) portrays personal disillusionment after political upheaval.
Foundational works of Egyptian realism and humanism are also featured: The Sin (Henry Barakat, 1965) portrays a young peasant woman struggling to protect her child, highlighting poverty, social morality, and women’s status; The Lamp of Umm Hashim (Kamal Attia, 1968) contrasts modern science and popular belief in Sayyida Zainab; The Road (Hossam El-Din Mostafa, 1964) and The Killers (Ashraf Fahmy, 1971) explore justice, betrayal, and complex moral choices. The Man Who Lost His Shadow (Kamal El Sheikh, 1968) and Palace of Desire (Hassan al-Imam, 1967) continue reflections on destiny, family legacy, and the quest for individual freedom, while My Wife and the Dog (Said Marzouk, 1971), My Wife, the General Manager (Fatin Abdel Wahab, 1966), and Night and Jail Bars (Ashraf Fahmy, 1973) tackle intimate, social, and symbolic contexts centered on relationships, jealousy, modernity, and the pursuit of justice.
Heritage as Horizon
In a world dominated by constant flow and cultural amnesia, Cairo Classics acts as a salutary counterpoint. Films are situated in long-term memory and reevaluation. Each screening becomes a dialogue between past and present, an act of resistance against cultural disappearance. This year, more than ever, CIFF confirms that preserving heritage also means bringing it to life: connecting David Lynch to Kamiran Hasni, Diane Kurys to Youssef Chahine, Sam Kadi to Salah Abu Seif, the festival maps global cinema, showing that every work—from Paris, Baghdad, or Cairo—expresses the same need to witness, love, and understand. At Cairo, the past is never frozen; it breathes, projects, and illuminates the present.
The festival also places digital restoration at the heart of its Cairo Industry Days. Two major initiatives are dedicated this year:
First, a panel entitled “Restoring the Visual Heritage of Arab Cinema”, in partnership with Coventry University. The discussion highlights digital restoration as both an art and a cultural mission: reviving Arab cinema’s visual identity and safeguarding it for future generations. Topics include modern restoration techniques, international collaboration, and knowledge exchange, with a focus on iconic works such as Saeed Afandi, training new generations, and balancing contemporary production with preservation of classics.
A hands-on workshop complements this effort. Led by Mounir Al Mahmoud, Ossen El Sawaf, and Idir Ben Slama, it immerses participants in the processes, tools, and ethical principles of digital restoration. From scanning original elements to correcting visual and sound flaws, ensuring color fidelity, and preserving artistic integrity, the workshop demonstrates CIFF’s commitment to making restoration a sustainable pillar of Arab cinema’s visual revival.
Neïla Driss
