Four much anticipated Arabic films hit cinemas

This mid-year school holiday brings four highly anticipated Arabic films, which premiered in film festivals to Egyptian commercial cinemas, starting Wednesday.

For cinema goers in Egypt, the scene in commercial cinemas tends to be quite a dull affair. Hollywood blockbuster after Hollywood blockbuster is played, and when there’s a glimmer of hope during Egyptian cinema’s “seasons,” we usually only find commercial releases that are not much different from their Hollywood counterparts — except with worse special effects.

Zawya cinema has changed this landscape slightly, offering a breath of fresh air for cinema lovers by showing releases from the festival circuits, documentaries and classics, since it was founded early last year. But the commercial cinema scene continued their affair – with few exceptions here and there.

Here is a listing of the new four films you can catch over the next couple of weeks in cinemas, to add to two already entering their second and third weeks of screening, Cairo Drive and Decor.

El Ott (The Cat), Ibrahim El Batout, Egypt

Following his award-winning revolution film Al-Shita illa Fet (Winter of Discontent, 2012), Egyptian director Ibrahim El Batout returns with The Cat.

The film sheds light on the underground world of organ trade, contrasting this harsh reality with mysticism and pharaonic culture.

“El Ott is a multi-layered story that unfolds much like a mystery, revealing its endless riches and depths as it goes,” reads the description on the film's Facebook page.

The Cat received the “Final Cut” post-production award at the 70th Venice Film Festival, as well as the Sanad post-production award in the Abu Dhabi Film Festival.

The film, starring Amr Waked, Farouk al-Fishawy and visual artist Amr Farouk, premiered at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival in October 2014 and was included in the Arab film program of the 36^th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival, which ran in November 2014.

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Min Alef illa Bey (From A to B), Ali Mostafa, UAE

The opening film at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, UAE production From A to B is directed by Ali Mostafa, with a screenplay by Egyptian writer and producer Mohamed Hefzy (Microphone, Rags and Tatters, Villa 69). It also screened in Dubai and Cairo's film festivals in 2014.

The film follows three estranged friends, each of whom has taken very different paths in life, who decide to collectively take a road trip from Abu Dhabi to Beirut in memory of a friend they have lost.

From A to B stars Egyptian Shady Alfons (Al Bernameg), Saudi stand-up comedian Fahad Albutairi and Emirati actor Fadi Rifaai. The film also features prominent Egyptian actor Khaled Abol Naga (Microphone, Decor), along with Maha Abu Auf and Youssra al-Lozy.

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Qudorat gher Aadiya (Out of the Ordinary), Daoud Abdel Sayed, Egypt 

Usually when Daoud Abdel Sayed releases a film, Egyptian cinema-goers follow it blindly. The acclaimed director has only eight titles to his name, but most are considered to be among the most iconic films in Egyptian cinema history.

This year Abdel Sayed writes and directs Out of the Ordinary, which premiered at the Dubai Film Festival last month.

The film follows Yehia (Khaled Abu El-Naga) as he researches paranormal activity with little result. After deciding to go for a holiday in a seaside guest house inhabited by quirky characters, the protagonist feels he has found the “out of the ordinary” activity he has been searching for.

To mark the film's release, Zawya will host a four-day mini-retrospective for Abdel Sayed. Starting this Saturday, January 17, Zawya will screen: Kit Kat (1991), Saraq al-Farah (The Wedding Thief, 1994), Ard al-Khof (Land of Fear, 1999) and Mowaten wa Mokhber wa Harami (A Citizen, A Detective and a Thief, 2001).

(Update: The release of this film hass been postponed, please check the Facebook page for a new date.)

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Betawqit Alqahera (Cairo Time), Amir Ramsis, Egypt

Written and directed by Amir Ramsis (Jews of Egypt), Cairo Time is an all-star cast of Nour al-Sherif, Mervat Amin, Samir Sabry, Sherif Ramzy and Dorra.

Ramses’ fourth feature, Cairo Time follows three stories taking place over one day in Cairo: A retired actress with marital issues, a young couple on a date, and an Alzheimers patient going on a road trip with a drug dealer.

The film premiered at the Dubai Film Festival.