The 6th edition of the El Gouna Festival took place exceptionally from December 14 to 21, 2023. Originally scheduled for October, the event was postponed due to the war between Israel and Palestine, which started on October 7.
The dilemma of film solidarity
During the closing ceremony, Naguib Sawiris, the co -founder of the festival, explained the hesitations that marked the decision -making process: ” We hesitated a lot, should we keep or cancel this edition? But it is a festival which has the slogan “Cinema for humanity”, it was therefore logical to offer it to Palestine. Our festival is at the service of humanity which has been a little lacking in recent times. This declaration sums up the essence of the festival, highlighting its commitment to humanity and the need to give a platform to the cinema to transcend borders and differences.
The decision to maintain the festival, despite the challenges, is distinguished from other cultural events, such as the cinematographic days of Carthage (JCC) in Tunisia and the Cairo Film International Festival (CIFF) in Egypt, which preferred to cancel their editions by solidarity towards the Palestinians. It is important to emphasize that the cancellation of cultural events is not a beneficial solution for the Palestinian cause or for any other cause. A film festival, much more than just distraction, offers a platform to think, give voice, gain visibility and debate.
JCC and CIFF: disappointing cancellations
The JCCs, from the start of the war, had planned to modify their program to give a voice to the Palestinians. Palestinian films had to be scheduled, and Palestinian filmmakers were invited. However, a decision by the Tunisian Ministry of Cultural Affairs led to the cancellation of the publishing. This caused the disappointment of Palestinian filmmakers, deprived of the opportunity to share their narrative with the world. Palestinian director and actor Mohamed Bacri, who was to participate, expressed his frustration on Tunisian radio and criticized the Tunisian Ministry of Cultural Affairs for having deprived the Palestinians for the possibility of expressing their views and telling their narrative.
Conversely, the El Gouna festival assumed its role of solidarity and aid towards Palestine. The section ” Palestinian cinema window “Presented several films, including the remarkable” La Porte du Soleil “by Yousry Nasrallah, a 4 -hour film retracing the Nakba from 1948 to 1996. In addition, several Palestinian filmmakers were invited to participate in various activities, including a panel devoted to the problems of Palestinian cinema.
Palestinian international and narrative meetings
Beyond the cinematographic programming, the festival was an opportunity for Palestinian filmmakers to meet foreign journalists from France, England, India, and other countries. These meetings are crucial, offering Palestinians the opportunity to share their often overlooked reality with international media.
The opening and fence ceremonies were highlights, highlighting the Palestinian cause through songs and films. The organizers imposed a strict dress code, contributing to the elegance and solemnity of the event: black suit for sober men and evening dresses for women. Some guests have displayed Palestinian distinctive signs, such as Keffieh, showing their solidarity. Some women have put on traditional Palestinian costumes. Palestine special programs have enriched these ceremonies, with artists such as The Palestinian singer Elyanna who sang “Branch of olive” and the Egyptian singer Abu who sang “The World is Blind” at the openingAnd The Egyptian group Cairokee which interpreted two songs committed and dedicated to Palestine: “Tilka al-Qadiya” (this cause) and “Ana Njim” (I am a star) in fence.
A special fundraising evening was organized to support the Palestinians, highlighting the Tunisian singer Ghalia Benali.
The festival also offered special panels, including ” Camera in crisis: a goal on Palestine ”with exclusively Palestinian panelists, exploring the role of Palestinian cinema and its future.
Other panels, such as ” Traffic and mobilization: what independent cinemas can do in times of crisis ? », Haded the role of the Palestine Film Institute and the Palestine Film Platform, especially in times of crisis. The discussions also presented Palestine Cinema Days, initially planned in Ramallah but organized in several countries around the world due to the conflict and “Palestine looks”, organized by Cinemadart in Tunis, a cycle of films around Palestine, donating all recipes to the Tunisian red crescent to support the Palestinians of Gaza. The panel has emphasized the role of cinema to express its solidarity and help those who need it.
A festival at the service of Palestine
The intelligent decision of the organizers of the El Gouna festival to maintain the event in December 2023 and to dedicate it to Palestine marked a powerful example of concrete solidarity. Cinematographic programming, ceremonies, international meetings, and panels have all helped give an increased voice and visibility to the Palestinian cause. The festival has shown that real solidarity does not reside in the cancellation of cultural events, but in maintaining the latter, by offering a platform to the Palestinians so that they can express themselves, impose their narrative, and share their views with the world. At the crossroads of cinema, international solidarity, and cultural meetings, the El Gouna 2023 festival will remain in the annals as a bright example of the positive impact that culture can have in moments of crisis and conflict.
Neïla Driss
