Tips from the culture desk: Dystopian writing, Japanese films and women on stage

For cinema lovers, this week has a lot in store. The Japan Foundation in Cairo starts a film week, while Zawya holds regular screenings of Oscar contender Manchester by the Sea at its Odeon Cinema screen downtown and its newest facility in New Cairo. For those who missed Cannes Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake, you can still catch it in Zamalek Cinema on Sunday.

Several exhibitions that opened last week also continue: Temporal Semiotics by Malak Yacout at Townhouse, Light Fall by Daniele Genadry at Gypsum Gallery, and the two exhibitions of PhotoCairo’s sixth edition, Shadows of the Imperceptible, can still be seen at the Saad Zaghloul Art Center and Contemporary Image Collective.

Dystopian novels talk - Saturday

The AUC’s Arab and Islamic Civilizations department hosts (in Arabic) a talk on the trend for dystopian novels, featuring three writers who have published within the genre in the past few years: Mada Masr’s Arabic culture and opinion editor Nael Eltoukhy with his novel Women of Karantina (2013), Basma Abdel-Aziz with The Queue (2013) and Mohamed Rabei with Otared (2015).

February 25, 6pm, Oriental Hall, AUC Tahrir campus, Cairo. Entrance free, but a form of ID is required at entrance. More information here.

Japanese Film Week - starting Sunday

For one week at the Creativity Center on the Cairo Opera House grounds, the Japan Office in Cairo hosts its always interesting annual film week. This year’s program will focus specifically on the culinary culture of Japan.

February 26 until March 2. Program here. Admission free.

Women Composers of Our Time - Monday, Thursday

The European-Egyptian Contemporary Music Society current program celebrates women composers and their achievements. On Monday, the Goethe Institut's Ghada El Sherbiny moderates a panel discussion with artist Huda Lutfi, the EECM's Sherif al-Razzaz, and two guests from the Women and Memory Forum about the importance of documentation, oral history and visibility of women in music, followed by a concert by Kaja Saariaho, Bushra El-Turk and Anahita Abbasi. And on Thursday, EECM's first collaboration with emerging Egyptian sound artist Yara Mekawei is world premiered alongside works by other female composers from Finland, Korea, Germany and the UK. Both events are free.

7pm Monday, Goethe Institut, 17 Hussein Wassef St., Messaha Square, Dokki, Cairo. More information here. 8 pm Thursday, AUC Ewart Memorial Hall, Tahrir Square, Cairo. More information here.

Nadah El Shazly/ Karim El Ghazoly/ Cherif El Masry - Tuesday

A new improvisational trio featuring three of our favorites, Nadah El Shazly (vocals), Karim El Ghazoly (drums and FX) and Cherif El Masry (synthesizer and FX), premieres at Cairo Jazz Club this week. We’re expecting ambient atmospheric sounds, drones, distortion, hypnotic vocals from Shazly and perhaps even something entirely new.

10:30pm, February 28, Cairo Jazz Club, 197 26 of July Street, Agouza, Cairo. More information here - remember to check out the house rules.

Al Hakawateya - Tuesday

US jazz musician Chelsey Green and the Green Project come to Cairo for this US Embassy-organized concert titled Al-Hakawatiya (The Storytellers). Joined by local folk singer Dina El Wedidi, they present their own work as well as new collaborative fusion produced by musician Fathy Salama.

February 28, 6pm - 10:30pm at the Cairo Citadel, Cairo. March 3, 6pm - 10:30pm at the Alexandria Library, Alexandria. More information here.