As Announced previously and taking advantage of the Cannes Film FestivalL’Arab Film Institute (AFI), organized, in collaboration with the Royal Film Commission (RCF) of Jordan and the Moroccan cinematographic centera theme round table: Beyond the borders-why only a few Arab films cross the local borders?
This round table, which was held on May 20 at the Moroccan pavilion (International Village-Cannes), aimed to try to understand the reasons why only a few Arab films traveled beyond local markets, the Arab world and even international festivals, what are the factors that helped them to get there and how they could go beyond the glory of the festival to reach an audience, but also local.
Were invited to this discussion of Arab film producers who had the rare privilege of presenting their films in the most prestigious world festivals: the Tunisian Dora Bouchouchathe Algerian Salem Brahimi, the Moroccan Lamia Chraibi, Egyptian Mohamed Hefzy And the Iraqi director Mohamed Al Daradji.
George David, Director General of the RFC and moderator, began by presenting the AFI, a sort of Arab equivalent of the American Academy of Arts and Cinema Sciences and the Academy of the European film, aimed at helping all the professionals of the Arab cinema by bringing them together on the same platform and trying to provide them with a platform so that they can debate, dialogue, plan, imagine…. He also works with the aim of promoting and distributing Arab films, both in the Arab world and worldwide.
Round table beyond borders-why only a few Arab films cross the local borders?
Before giving voice to the panelists so that everyone tells his own experience, George David just insisted on the importance of having Arab films in the five biggest film festivals in the world and how it can help their distribution.
According to Lamia Chraibi, whose film Mimosa had won the Nespresso Prize at Critique Week in Cannes in 2016, when Westerners love a film, because it makes them discover a different culture, they want more: they are interested in the director and want to see his films. She also thinks that the co -production of Arab films with Western countries helps their distribution.
As for Dora Bouchoucha, her frequentation of festivals allowed her to notice the importance of the selection of films to help distribution abroad, which is most difficult. But just like Lamia Chraibi, she also found that generally, when the distributors are interested in a producer or a director, they want more. She gave as an example her fantastic experience with the film Hedi which had won two prizes at the 2016 Berlinale. Since then it is the distributors who come to her.
Dora Bouchoucha
For Salem Brahimi, who had a film selected in off competition at the Cannes Film Festival, international festivals, because they allow you to show films, see journalists and meet cinema professionals, are vital for Arab films, in particular the “Tops Five” which can build or destroy a filmmaker.
Director Mohamed Al Daradji thinks that in the end, the goal is not the festival in itself, but the following: the fact that the film is known and seen.
For the Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy whose first experience with festivals dates back to 2010 with the film Microphone screened at the Toronto International Film Festivalthe Cannes Film Festival remains the best festival from a market point of view. According to him, the film that passes to Cannes sells much better afterwards. He gives as an example his last two films. When compared for example, Clash who opened the Un certain view selection in Cannes in 2016 and Ali, the goat and Ibrahim Who won the prize for the best male interpretation at the Dubai International Film Festival also in 2016, the difference in the sales point of view is enormous.
In fact, for him, what the Cannes Film Festival offers anywhere else: advertising on a global scale, visibility, interesting meetings … Even the Festivals of Sundance and Toronto do not allow this: if we are not an American film, we do not pierce it. They are, of course, prestigious festivals, but being selected there does not result in sales.
Round table beyond borders-why only a few Arab films cross the local borders?
How can Arab states help their cinemas?
Certain States such as Morocco help either directly by subsidizing the production of films, or helping to find funding elsewhere. When the state gives money, it is like a guarantee, and the other funds follow.
The advantage of Morocco is that he does not condition his help and does not force to make a tourist cinema that exhibits a beautiful country, but leaves the filmmakers free to show what they want.
Tunisia also subsidizes cinema, but the problem is that even if the government gives money there is no vision, no clear policy. According to Dora Bouchoucha, it is up to cinema professionals to help governments have a vision. And in Tunisia, that’s what producers have been trying to do for a few years.
For Salem Brahimi, filmmakers are not just waiting for money but also know -how, the establishment of certain mechanisms, as in France for example with regard to the submission to the Oscars which obeys a specific procedure, and the encouragement to young people by giving them a Know How, logistical means, learning aid …
Mohamed Hefzy, on the other hand, deplored that in Egypt the government does not help at all. Especially independent filmmakers. These, having neither money nor support from the State are forced to fend for himself. The worst part is that in addition, filmmakers are monitored: they do not have the right to approach certain subjects or to speak political, especially since what is called “Arab Spring” or “Revolution”.
A film like the Tunisian film Beauty and packprojected to this same edition of the Cannes Film Festival, could not see the light of day in Egypt. Of course, it is very easy to make films that blend into the mold and respect the rules set, but get out of the ranks is excessively difficult. Some films, such as The last days of a city To Tamer El Saidare also censored and cannot be projected in Egypt, even if they are successful in various international festivals.
For Salem Brahimi, there is also another problem: Arab films have no audience at home, no national market. Festivals give a certain “respect” to the selected films, but that is not enough.
“How can we talk about the national market when there are not even cinemas?” “Record Dora Bouchoucha,” and in Algeria it’s even worse in Tunisia! »»
Can there be a brand, an Arab cinema?
According to Mohamed Hefzy, no, there is not an Arab cinema because the Arab countries are very different from each other, but on the other hand we can try to do a common work and that is what AFI is trying to provide a common platform to Arab filmmakers.
Why are Arab films, other than Egyptians, find it difficult to be distributed in Arab countries?
According to Dora Bouchoucha, Egyptian films are everywhere because Egyptian cinema is very old, that Arab spectators have gotten into the habit of looking at them and especially understanding them. For other Arab films, language remains a problem, even if subtitling is a solution. But in addition to that, and there she joins the advice of Mohamed Hefzy, spectators do not want to get too tired, they like commercial films and easy to understand.
However, it is starting to really change and more and more spectators are attracted to Arab films other than Egyptians. For example, we can cite the Tunisian film Hedi Who is in the process of having a good career in the Arab countries. At the beginning of May, he had also opened the CAIRO CINEMA DAYS. And always as part of this event, he had been scheduled, with three other Tunisian films, in several cinemas in several Egyptian cities and had been very successful.
Some of the criticisms of the Jury of the Awards Critics in Cannes
In fact, even if they are increasingly attracting Western spectators thanks to their universalist themes while keeping their local particularitiesArab films are still struggling to get out of the framework of the various festivals and cinematographs and to be distributed outside their own countries.
For what ? Probably because they lack visibility.
Professionals have understood this and have just grouped within organizations such as AFI or the Center of Arab Cinema (ACC), which will allow them to act together, help each other, do lobbying and organize actions tending to promote Arab cinema. We can cite as an example The Awards Critics awarded this year in Cannes. The winners had been chosen by 24 film critics from 15 countries, including the USA, France, Sweden, Italy and GB. In addition, from March 2018, the AFI will organize the Arab Film Awards, equivalent to the American Oscars, each year.
Neïla Driss
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