Tips from the culture desk: Autism, books, Sufi chants, shorts and Ramadan

Arts-wise this week’s a slow week as Ramadan starts, giving a chance for people to binge on TV. See our round up of trends and phenomena in the upcoming shows here.

Drop by Zawya before it closes for Ramadan on Tuesday — either to see the Arab Shorts program or music-filled Tunisian film As I Open My Eyes (2015), by Leyla Bouzid.

Like last week, Mada’s culture tips are brought to you by the annual Tahrir Book Fair, happening at the American University in Cairo's Tahrir Square Campus through June 5 with three novels for the price of two, textbooks starting from LE10, discounts on children’s books, up to 90 percent off on academic titles, and a free book if you spend over LE150. Open until 5 pm.

Insufficient Language — Saturday

The Contemporary Image Collective’s Chronic exhibition (reviewed here by Ismail Fayed) ends with a program of three works centred around autism.

An Arabic-subtitled version of an 8.5-minute video by autism acitivist Amanda Baggs, which criticizes the linear definition of thought of those who are privileged with language, will be screened. Communicating through language is linked to agency, and agency is socially constructed not to consider different forms of thought, she argues.

There will be a reading of an Arabic translation of a short text by the late Fernand Deligny, who had an alternative approach to treating children diagnosed with autism, exploring how cinema, the image and autism as a condition are excluded by language.

And Islam El Azzazi, whose workshops have influenced Alexandria’s independent filmmaking scene, will discuss his 7-minute film Autism (2015) after it is screened, as well as the idea of producing visual content in an effort to challenge verbal dominance.

7 pm, June 4, 22 Abdel Khalak Tharwat Street, 4th floor, downtown Cairo. See Facebook event here.

Tres Court International Film Festival — all week

The French Institute in Cairo is hosting the 18th Tres Court International Film Festival, dedicated to very short films from all over the world. Taking place simultaneously in 28 countries from June 3 to 11, Tres Court in Cairo is at the French Institute itself in Mounira, Room Cafe and Art space in Garden City, Hanager Cinema at the Cairo Opera House, and Zawya in downtown. It also pops up at the institute in Alexandria from June 8 to 11. With each film under three minutes long, the festival includes fiction, animation, documentary and even video blogs and music videos. The Cairo program is here, and the Alexandria program here.

Sheikh Zein Mahmoud Sufi chants — Friday

A regular performer who gains a special popularity during Ramadan, Sheikh Zein Mahmoud is performing Sufi chants at Room Cafe and Art Space on Friday evening. Born in Bani Mazar village in Minya, the religious singer started out reciting Quran before moving into chanting.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=_lt3caUn2e8

8 pm, June 10 at Room Cafe and Art Space, 10 Tolombat Street, Garden City, Cairo.