A still from Lebanese film, Broken Keys.
A proud moment presents itself for the Arab film community as Cannes releases its list of movies to be featured in its 2020 lineup. There are four pathbreaking films across different genres that will represent the Arab world at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival this year. Below, take a look at the films and what they are about.
Souad
The Egyptian film has been selected in the newcomers’ category in this year’s Cannes’ official selection. Directed by Egyptian filmmaker Ayten Amin’s Souad is a portrayal of a young girl who embarks on an endearing journey after her sister commits suicide. The film stars a number of talented actors from Egypt and has been shot in different locales outside of Cairo.
Passion Simple
The hotly anticipated new film by Lebanese director Danielle Arbid sheds light on the intimate portrayal of forbidden love. The French-language film sees a man and a woman collide in a twist of fate over several months. He is a married Russian diplomat, stationed in Paris, while she is an older researcher. The movie is based on the popular 1992 novel by Anne Ernaux.
ADN
This Algerian-French film by director Maïwenn is an exploration of the director’s own complex and nuanced family roots and has been shortlisted in the ‘The Faithful’ category which features directors whose films have been screened before as part of the official selection at Cannes.
Broken Keys
Written and directed by Lebanese filmmaker Jimmy Keyrouz, Broken Keys tells the story of Karim, a pianist in his mid-20s, who dreams of starting his music career in Europe. His war-torn town has been taken over by an extremist group, which establishes a difficult way of life in his town. The story takes off when Karim’s piano is shot, and he sets off on a perilous journey to repair the broken keys.
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