Arab Film Festival Berlin Comes Back with an Impressive Film Lineup
DUBAI — The 17th edition of the Arab Film Festival Berlin (ALFILM) returns from April 22 to 28, bringing feature films, documentaries, and shorts from the past two years to screens across the German capital.
This year’s program is divided into three strands: Selection, Spotlight, and Specials. The Selection strand focuses on individual and collective experiences shaped by conflict, displacement, and political turbulence — touching on loss, endurance, and renewal.
The Spotlight program, titled “Sudan: New Projections – Retrospectives, Revolutions, and Restorations,” is curated by Talal Afifi of the Sudan Film Factory. It includes contemporary Sudanese films alongside restored archival material.
The Specials strand honors influential Arab cinema figures: actor Mohamed Bakri, director Youssef Chahine (whose film “Adieu Bonaparte” will screen), director Daoud Abdel Sayed with “Land of Dreams” — the final film starring iconic actress Faten Hamama — and art director Onsi Abou Seif, who will lead a masterclass on scenic design.
The festival opens with Annemarie Jacir’s sweeping historical drama “Palestine 36,” which has its German premiere ahead of a wider theatrical release.
Other notable films include Abbas Fadel’s “Tales of a Wounded Land” and Zaradasht Ahmed’s “The Lions by the River Tigris” (survival in Lebanon and Iraq); Hasan Hadi’s “The President’s Cake” (life under Saddam Hussein through a child’s eyes); Sepideh Farsi’s “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk” and Abdulrahman Sabbah’s “The Clown of Gaza” (everyday life amid the assault on Gaza); and Marwan Hamed’s “El Sett,” starring Mona Zaki as legendary singer Umm Kulthum during a pivotal Paris concert after the 1967 war.
Screenings and events will be held at multiple venues across Berlin.
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