CIFF 2023 – In preparation for its 45th edition, which will be held from November 15 to 24, 2023, the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) has set several objectives. Among these, presenting the most recent international films which participated in prestigious film festivals and which obtained significant recognition from both the public and criticism. In addition, the festival aims to highlight the importance of presenting these films for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa to a captivated audience.
These films explore beautifully a wide range of personal and universal themes, inspired by various corners of the world. Each film presents its own artistic style, offering a captivating narration and approaching different subjects with creativity. This exceptional quality is a key aspect taken into account during the film selection process, and the festival is truly enthusiastic and delighted to share these incredible films with its audience.
Disco Boy
The first feature by Giacomo Abbruzzse, Disco Boyin main competition at the Berlinale, tells the story of two people of different breeds, geographies and nations. Aleksei is a young Belarusian on the run of a past that he must bury. He enters a sort of Faustien pact, becoming a member of the French foreign legion in exchange for the promise of French citizenship. Far in the Niger Delta, Jomo is a revolutionary activist engaged in an armed struggle to defend his community. Aleksei is a soldier, Jomo a Guerillero fighter. Following an increasingly absurd war, their destinies will intertwine. At the Berlin Festival, Hélène Louvart, director of film photography, won the silver bear for her exceptional artistic contribution.
The Survival of Kindness
In The Survival of Kindness, The Australian director Rolf de Heer addresses the story of a black woman abandoned in abandoned in a cage in the middle of the desert. After her escape, she walks through the plague and persecution, from the desert to the mountains via the city, to find more captivity. The film received the Prize from the International Federation of Cinema Critics (FIPRESCI) during the Berlin Festival competition in 2023.
Samsara
Samsara De Laws Patiño takes place in Laos, where dozens of adolescents study in Buddhist temples. Every day, a young man crosses the river to read a text to an elderly woman, so that she can go into the beyond. The film tackles spiritual concepts in a visually unique way, making an exceptional trip to the public. The film was presented in the “Meetings” category during the Berlin Film Festival in 2023, where it won the special jury prize.
And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine
In this wonderful documentary made by Axel Danielson and Maximilien Van Aertryck and produced by The famous Swedish director Ruben Östlundwe are witnessing the complete evolution of films. From the birth of the camera obscured to the projection of the first moving image and the invention of the webcam to the first viral video, this ingenious and stimulating documentary traces the development of the culture of the image as we know it. The film was selected at the Berlin Festival and at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the special jury prize in the international documentary competition.
Monster
In his latest film Monsterwhich was presented in official competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festivaldirector Hirokazu Kore-Eda presents a moving and touching story on love, duty and social struggle. When his young son Minato begins to behave strangely, his mother feels that there is something that is wrong. By discovering that a teacher is responsible for it, she bursts into school to ask what is going on. But as the story takes place through the eyes of the mother, the teacher and the child, the truth is gradually emerging. Monster won the prize for the best scenario at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
The old oak
The Old Oak/The Old Oak is a special place. Not only is it the last standing ad, but it is also the only remaining public space where people can find themselves in a formerly prosperous mining community and which has now experienced 30 years of decline. TJ Ballantyne, the owner, is good at the old oak, which becomes a territory disputed after the arrival of Syrian refugees who are installed in the village. In an improbable friendship, always meets a young Syrian, Yara, with her camera. Can they find a way for the two communities to understand? Ken Loach tells a deeply moving drama on the loss, fear and the difficulty of finding hope In this film which was part of the official competition of the Cannes Film Festival. It should be noted that Loach announced that the film would be his last.
Perfect Days
In his latest film Perfect Days, the German director Wim Wenders tackles a story that does not take place in Germany or even in the United States, as is the case in “Paris, Texas”. The film takes place in Japan. He tells the story of a simple human, named Hirayama, who works as a tokyo toilet cleaner and who is satisfied with his work. Apart from his work, Hirayama likes to listen to music, read books and take pictures of the trees he loves. In the midst of this serenity, a series of unexpected meetings reveals more about its character and its past. The film, which participated in the official competition of the 2023 Cannes Festivalwon the Ecumenical Jury Prize and the film star, Kôji Yakusho, won the price for best actor.
The chimera
The latest film by Italian director Alice Rohrwacher, La Chimère, which participated in the main competition of the Cannes Film Festivaltells the story of the Tombaroli band and their chef Arthur, who go in search of archaeological wonders in order to sell them as antiques. Arthur is looking for the face of his beloved Beniamina everywhere and digs in the ground, in the hope of finding her. The film highlights the illusion of humans in an adventure between the worlds of the living and the dead, between forests and cities.
Dead leaves
The dead leaves, which received the jury prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festivalis directed by Aki Kaurismäki, which always makes films of a unique cinematic style. The film tells the story of a man and a woman who meets a cold night in Helsinki. They try to find the first, the only and the last love of their life. Multiple obstacles stand on the path of this captivating story, in particular human alcoholism, the loss of telephone numbers and mutual ignorance of their names, as well as the tendency of life to put trials on the road to those who seek happiness.
Dry herbs
Dry herbs is the last film directed by the Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan. The film tells the story of a young art teacher, Samet, who fulfills his compulsory duty in a remote village in Anatolia. After a dramatic change difficult to understand for him, he loses all hope of getting out of the dark life in which he is stuck. Under these conditions, he met a teacher called Nuray. Could she help him overcome his anxiety? The film participated in the official competition of the 2023 Cannes Film Festivalwhere her main actress, Activates Dizdar won the prize for best actress for her role as Nuray.
Inma Gloria
Cléo, six years old, loves her nanny Gloria more than any other. When Gloria returns home to Cape Verde to take care of her children, they spend the last summer together! Inma Gloria by Marie Amachoukeli-Barsacq was the opening film of the Critics Week at the 2023 Cannes Festival.
Blaga’s Lessons
In his eighth feature film, Blaga’s Lessonsdirector Stephan Komandarev addresses the story of an old teacher, Blaga, who becomes a victim of a scam that leads her to lose all her savings. When she realizes that there is no way to recover her money, everything changes and she begins to make decisions to which she would never have consented. The film received 3 prizes from the Karlovy Vary festival: the Crystal Globe and the Grand Prix of the Ecumenical Jury, while its main actress, Ellie Skocheva, won the prize for the best actress.
Brutal heat
Albert Hospodářský’s first feature film takes place in a world threatened by a solar fragment rushing to earth. Meanwhile, a boy tries to find a chalet in an unknown city. Along the way, he faces many situations and adventures that push him to face his greatest fears. The film was presented in Proxima competition at the Karlovy Vary festival, where it received a special mention from the jury.
Don’t wait too long from the end of the world
The latest film on the list is directed by the famous Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude, a prolific filmmaker rewarded. The film tells a story located between cinema and economy. Angela leads to the city of Bucharest to choose roles for an advertisement funded by a multinational company. When one of the interviewees declares that the company is responsible for its accident, a scandal is bursting. The film must participate in the official competition of the Locarno 2023 festival.
The CIFF is one of the most prestigious and ancient festivals in the Arab world and Africa. It is unique as the only festival in the Arab and African region accredited in category “A” by the International Federation of Film Producers (FIAPF) in France.
