Tips from the culture desk: Flowers and films, drawings and sounds

Cairo’s annual Flower Show opens today at the Orman Botanical Gardens and is always worth a visit, whether you’re buying or not. See our photo story from last year to give you an idea.

Meanwhile the Ibero-American film week continues at Cairo’s Zawya, which is also screening Todd Haynes’ award-winning Patricia Highsmith adaptation Carol (2015) with Arabic subtitles at 1 and 3 pm through Wednesday.

In Alexandria, Gudran screens Nadine Salib’s moving documentary Um Ghayeb (Mother of the Unborn, 2014) on Monday at 5 pm, followed by the fascinating Algerian documentary Bla Cinima (2015) at 8 pm. On top of that, check out these five events.

Magdi Mostafa and Haig Avazian at MASS Alexandria — Saturday, Monday

MASS Alexandria continues its public programing with two interesting events this week.

In a talk at 6 pm on March 19, Cairo-based artist Magdi Mostafa reflects on his sound-based artwork through discussing the relationship between spaces and architectural, urban, private, public, dreamed or real sound. He is increasingly interested in ambiguous, difficult-to-decipher “third forms of action,” which sociologists, political scientists and psychologists can’t determine the motivation for. Talk and discussion in Arabic with English translation. Free, but register here to attend.

In a workshop at 6 pm on March 21 on the historical relationship between drawing and archeological ruins, Beirut-based artist Haig Aivazian will talk about drawing’s inherent ties to looting, possession and the production of knowledge, but will also address some more metaphysical aspects of drawing and its links to death, conjuring and imagination. Lecture and discussion in English and Arabic, followed by a reception to celebrate the opening of the MASS Library — free, but register here to attend.

MASS Alexandria, 2 Madina al-Monawwara Street, Miami, Alexandria.

Azziara screening — Sunday

Nadia Mounier is a prolific, award-winning photographer (and part of Cairo Bats, currently showing at the Contemporary Image Collective) and Marouan Omara is a filmmaker and professor who made (with Johanna Domke) the acclaimed documentary CROP, about a photojournalist during the 2011 revolution, in 2013.

Azziara (The Visit, 2015) is their 43-minute film made in collaboration with Islam Kamal and initially commissioned by a German agricultural NGO. It follows a World Bank team carry out a televised inspection of an Egyptian village, a group of schoolgirls visiting Cairo’s Agricultural Museum, and a TV presenter making a show about rural women. By allowing the absurdity of these situations to shine through, the film examines how stereotypes about rural Egyptians are formed. It’s in Arabic with English subtitles, and Omara will be present for a Q&A after the screening.

http://vimeo.com/139693638

7.30 pm, March 21 at the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo, 1 Dr. Mahmoud Azmi Street, Zamalek. Free but limited seating, so arrive early.

Lamasat Forum for Mediterranean Youth Cinema — all week

Alexandria-based Gudran for Art and Development, in collaboration with Arkhabeel Image in Marsielle and Nashaz NGO in Tunis, has created a forum for three workshops and various talks and screenings centered on regional cinema. Kicking off on Monday, the workshops include one on film-programing run by Tunis-based film critic and professor Tahar Chikhaoui (who ran a very well-received program at Cimatheque in 2014) and Wekalet Behna’s programer Mamoon Azmy, one on film criticism run by Tunisian critics Ansaf Mashta and Hagar Boudin, and one on film directing run by Tunisian filmmaker Gilany al-Saadi and Algerian filmmaker Lamine Ammar-Khodja. Screenings of several alternative films are included in the program — find the details here.

Still from Fi Rasi Ronbouanne by Hassan Farahan

Mada Playlist with Noor Noor — Wednesday

Our monthly Mada Playlist Wednesdays are back in a new venue and with a new DJ. Join us on Wednesday at After Eight in downtown Cairo as multi-talented musician and environmentalist Noor Noor (Simplexity, Ze Khodz, Sukon) spins a playlist for us to dance and mingle to. This monthly event is meant to be a space for Mada’s staff to meet readers, for media and creative professionals to network, and for everyone to have some collective fun. Happy hour is 8-10 pm (buy 1 get 1 free on local drinks).

8 pm, March 23 at After Eight, 6 Kasr al-Nil Street, downtown Cairo. Entrance free, but prior registration required on this form.