Kuwait Cinema Club will organize late this month four days of activities to focus on the issue of Palestine, under the motto “Palestine as Depicted in Cinema.”
The activities will be kicked off on April 27 in cooperation with the Kuwaiti Graduates Society.
Kuwait Cinema Club director Emad al Nowairi told Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA) that the films to be reviewed are not only the work of Palestinian directors or producers but concern the situation in Palestine. “There will be two films and a documentary. The first is al Mutabaqi (That Which Remains) by Iranian director Saifullah Dad and costarring Syrian film stars, Salma al Massri, Bassam Kusa. The second is Palestinian director Michael Khalifi's film al Jawaher al Thalatha (The Three Gems) which was actually shot in the occupied Palestinian territories two years ago and focuses on Israeli aggression and escalation,” added Nowairi.
Documentary films will also be reviewed, he said, including a Kuwaiti production entitled Ahlam Fi Faragh (Dreams in Vacuum) and the lebanese production Ahlam al Manfa (Dreams in Exile).
“It is important to make this event a success because as satellite channels provide live and direct coverage on developments, it is up to films to arouse people's sympathy,” Nowairi said.
He added that the films will be shown in al she'eb Park Cinema and Entrance will be free of charge.
About the cooperation with Kuwait National Cinema Company, Kuwait Cinema Club director said, “cooperation between the two resulted in many events such as the Palestinian Cinema Week in 1983 and Egyptian Cinema Week in 1984 and again in 1998.
He explained that the films that are viewed in these events are selected for their artistic merit and professional and inspired manipulation of set design, light and all other elements involved in film production.
“There are over 100 documentaries and 50 feature films that deal with Palestinian themes, but the public knows little if anything about them because the directors live in exile. Although the club is not involved in film production, it promotes better taste among viewers through showing films of good art and organizing seminars to discuss the themes to reach more than a single reading of scenarios,” said Nowairi – Albawaba.com
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
