The 44th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) ended Tuesday evening with a closing ceremony during which the prices awarded by the various juries were unveiled.
It’s the film Alamof the Palestinian director Firas Khoury, who was the big winner, Having not only won the gold pyramid for the best film, but also the ex æquo price for best actor for the young Mahmoud Bakri and the public prize, who during the screening had applauded the film several times.
Alam Who had made his first at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), is a France, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Qatar and Palestine and was fully shot in Tunisia.
Synopsis:
Tamer, Palestinian student, does not mix with politics; At the same time, the memory of his uncle, an activist physically broken by imprisonment, weighs heavily on his mind. From his appearance, he is attracted to a new classmate, the beautiful, spontaneous and politically committed Maysaa. To impress him, Tamer trains his friends in “The operation: Maysaa flag”. This act of resistance aims to replace the Israeli flag of the school with the Palestinian flag on the day of Israeli independence, which is a day of mourning for the Palestinians when they commemorate the “Nakba” – the disaster. Under the influence of Maysaa, the political awareness of Tamer awakens and he decides to participate in his very first manifestation.
The silver pyramid of the best director went to Emmanuelle Niko for Love according to Dalvaa powerful drama on a 12 -year -old girl who is raised in a reception center after her separation from her pedophile father and having had incestuous relationships with her.
Love according to Dalva had done his first at the CANNE CANNES Festival at the Critics Week, where he had obtained three prizes: the Fipresci Prize for Critics, the Golden Rail and the Louis Roederer Prize for Revelation for Zelda Samson, who also won the Best Actress Prize during this 44th Edition of the CIFF.
As for the Egyptian director Ahmed Abdallah, although his very beautiful film 19 Breceived from the jury of the international competition that the Henry Baraket Prize for the best artistic contribution awarded to the director of photography Mustafa Al Kashef, his disappointment did not have to be very great since he also won the Fipresci award for criticism and the prize for the best Arab film all sections.
Below the complete prize list:
International competition:
The members of the jury, the Japanese director Naomi Kawase President, the Mexican director Joaquín del Paso, the director of Egyptian photography Nancy Abdelfattah, the Egyptian composer Rageh Daoud, the French actor Samir Guesmi, the actress, director and Italian screenwriter Stefania Casin and the Indian actress Swara Bhasker Awarded the following prices:
- The golden pyramid of the best film at Alam by Firas Khoury (Palestine);
- The silver pyramid of the best director at Love according to Dalvaby Emmanuelle Nicot (Belgium);
- The bronze pyramid of the best first or second work to Bread and salt from Damien Cukor (Poland);
- The Naguib Mahfouz Prize for the best scenario to A man from Kei Ishikawa (Japan);
- The price of best actor in Maher Alkhair for his role in The dam and Mahmoud Bakri for his role in Alam;
- The prize for the best actress in Zelda The Samson for her role in Love according to Dalva;
- The Henry Baraket Prize for the best artistic contribution to Mustafa Alkashef for the film 19 B (Egypt).
The Horizons competition of Arabic cinema:
The members of the jury, the Lebanese director Michel Kammoun, the Tunisian producer Moufida Fedhila and the Egyptian costume designer Reem El Adl awarded the following prices:
- The Saad Eddin Wahba Prize for the best Arab film in Mother Valley by Carlos Chahine (Lebanon);
- The special price of the Salah Abu Seif jury in Riverbed from Bassem Breche (Lebanon);
- The prize for the best documentary film at Far from the Nile of Sherief Elkatsha (Egypt);
- The price of the best interpretation in Carole Abboud for his role in Riverbed;
- A special mention for the film I would come back there by Yacine Redissi (Tunisia)
- A special mention for actress Lyna Khoudary for her role in the film Houria (Algeria).
International Critics’ Week:
The members of the jury, the Scottish director Ben Sharrock, the Lebanese criticism Houda Ibrahim and the Egyptian actor Karim Kassem awarded the following prices:
- The Shadi Abdel Salam Prize for the best film at Pamfir by Dmytro SokoletKysobchuk (Ukraine);
- The Fathy Farag Prize for the best artistic contribution to Joyland from Saïm Sadiq (Pakistan);
- A special mention to The victim by Michal Blasko (Slovakia).
Short films competition:
The members of the jury, the Egyptian director, scriptwriter and producer Ahmed Amer, the Italian director Michelango Frammartino and the Tunisian actress Rym Turki awarded the following prices:
- The Youssef Chahine Prize for the best short film at Rosemary Ad (after Dad) d’Ethan Barrett (USA);
- The special jury prize at My Girl Friend of Kawthar Younis (Egypt);
- A special mention to One F*Cking Wish de Piotr Jasinski (Czech Republic).
The best arab film competition, all sections combined:
The members of the jury, the Egyptian actor Ahmed Magdy, the Polish programmer Dorota Lech and the Lebanese actress Nour awarded the following prices:
- The price of the best Arab film to 19b of Ahmad Abdalla (Egypt);
- A special mention for Riverbed from Bassem Breche (Lebanon).
The price of criticisms:
The members of the jury, the Tunisian Henda Haouala, the Egyptian Mohamed Atef and Rita Di Santo awarded the Fipresci Prize 19 B from Ahmad Abdalla (Egypt).
Public price went to Alam by Firas Khoury (Palestine).
It is obvious that like any record, it is very subjective and could have been completely different with different juries. But he was enormously criticized, even the end of the ceremony. Indeed, this list did not correspond in any case to the forecasts or expectations of each other. Some prices are even amazing, such as the bronze pyramid in the film Bread and salt From Damian Cukor, who according to an Egyptian critic would have even deserved the price of the worst film. Why this price? Didn’t the jury find another first or second film to reward? Furthermore, why do some films acclaimed by all, such as for example The Island of forgiveness From Ridha Béhi, who had been loved by Egyptian criticism and the public, are they completely absent from the charts?
Regarding the Horizons of Arab cinema competition, the charts are very surprising and disappointing. Why just a mention to the Tunisian film I would come back there So that all were unanimous to find it very very good? Why did this same jury give two prizes to the Lebanese film Riverbedwhen he is really very average? The price of best interpretation in Carole Abboud would have been more than enough, and moreover deserved because it really worn the film on the shoulders.
For the Egyptian critic Ahmed Saad Eddin ” 90 % of the prices of this 44th Edition of the Cairo International Film Festival are incomprehensible to the public and criticism, and even for the jury itself !!! ». And for the Waleed Seif critic, this track record has been the worst CIFF track record for many years.
Perhaps as in the Cannes Film Festival, all film festivals should organize a press conference of juries so that their members at least try to explain their choices.
Neïla Driss
