Tips from the culture desk: June 14-20 in Cairo

Here are two films and a puppet show happening this week in Cairo — as recommended by Mada's culture desk — before Ramadan kicks off.

Theeb at Zawya Cinema - until Tuesday

It’s the final week for arthouse cinema Zawya before it closes for two months over the Ramadan and Eid season. Theeb showed to great acclaim at the 2014 Cairo International Film Festival and snagged a number of awards on the international festival circuit. The debut feature of up-and-coming Jordanian director Naji Abu Nawar, it is a coming of age tale set against the backdrop of World War I in Jordan’s Wadi Rum. Abu Nawar and co-screenwriter Bassel Ghandour embarked on a year long research project with Wadi Rum’s Bedouin community, and came up with the film’s story from that time. The community are also the film’s actors.

Everyday through June 16 at 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, 7.30 pm and 9.30 pm. Zawya, 4 Abdel-Hamid Said Street, off Talaat Harb Street, Downtown Cairo.

Aragoz puppet show in front of Townhouse — Sunday

The Kousha Puppet theater gained popularity after creating large-scale protest puppets symbolizing the Supreme Council of Armed Forces during the demonstrations of 2012 that followed the Egyptian revolution. On Sunday they will revive the old Egyptian public art of the aragoz (puppeteer), as part of a wider tour of the project around Cairo. Recently the troupe has toured Port Said and Delta cities with Mahatat for contemporary art.

Aragoz show in front of Townhouse on June 14 at 5 pm. See here for more information.

Mohamed Khan’s Sunstroke — Wednesday

Mohamed Khan’s first feature film, produced by film star Nour al-Sherif in 1979, was his big entrance into Egyptian cinema and established his relationship with audiences. Darbet Shams (Sunstroke) was an adventure in the way it was made — an actor investing in someone’s first feature, and none of the usual compromises being made as a result. It’s about a journalist who takes a very important photo. A favorite Khan movie for many, and up there in many lists of all-time favorite Egyptian movies. It’s showing as part of Cimatheque’s Revisiting Memory program, which ends this week.

June 17, 7 pm, Cimatheque, 19A Adly Street, 5th floor, Apt 28/29, Downtown Cairo.