Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is showcasing an impressive lineup of feature films and documentaries in its 2024 edition. The films offer an honest look at the social, emotional, and political challenges faced by people across the globe. The selection at Cairo International Film Festival represents a powerful voice for filmmakers from the Arab world, Palestine, and beyond. All these films share a common thread: a commitment to exploring the intersection of personal stories with larger societal forces.
Feature Films
Dear Maloti by Shankha Das Gupta
Bangladesh | Fiction | 2024 |106 m
After her husband dies in a devastating fire, Maloti, a pregnant housewife in Dhaka, Bangladesh, falls into a bureaucratic maze that questions her moral grounds, stigmatizes her religious identity, and jeopardizes the future of her unborn child.
Passing Dreams by Rashid Masharawi
Palestine, Sweden, France | Fiction | 85 m | 2024.
Sami, a 12-year-old boy, is chasing a carrier pigeon. He embarks on a journey across Palestine, convinced that the bird has returned to its original owner. During his journey across the Green Line, the theoretical demarcation line between Israel and Palestine, he meets other Palestinians who share their stories.
Spring Came Laughing by Noha Adel
Egypt | Fiction | 112 m | 2024.
Four tales unfold during the Spring, a season notorious for its cruel nature, unearthing secrets, anger, sorrows, and hidden tears amidst seemingly joyful laughter. Yet, as the vibrant blooms begin to wither, the arrival of autumn brings on an unforeseen conclusion to the stories.
Who’d Believe It? by Zena AbdelBaky
Egypt | Fiction | 120 m| 2024.
To escape the emptiness she feels, Nadine meets a scam artist named Bassem, who offers her the love and attention she’s been missing. Nadine joins Bassem in his scam operations, leading them into numerous problems that put their love story and other aspects of their lives at risk.
Little Loves by Celia Rico Clavellino
Spain | Fiction | 90 m | 2024.
A mother and her daughter are compelled to spend a summer together because the latter had an accident. Although they love each other, they cannot stand one another. So, they will have to learn to accept each other. A situation which will lead them to embark on a journey marked by acceptance and understanding.
Back to Alexandria by Tamer Ruggli
Switzerland, France, Qatar, Egypt | Fiction | 95 m | 2023.
After twenty years of absence, Sue returns to her native Egypt to see her estranged mother, Fairouz, a splendid and eccentric aristocrat. Leading her on a surprising journey from Cairo back to Alexandria, Sue reconnects with her loved ones and faces startling and painful memories. She will reconcile with her past, and finally become the empowered woman she ought to be.
Documentaries
A State of Passion: Ghassan Abu Sittah by Carol Mansour, and Muna Khalidi
Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, United Kingdom, Kuwait | Documentary | 90 m| 2024.
Filmmakers Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, who are close friends of the Abu Sittah family, decided to highlight the medical journey of Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu Sittah within Palestine. The filmmakers aimed to capture his raw emotions and began filming him from the moment he arrived from Gaza.
Diaries from Lebanon by Myriam El Hajj
Lebanon, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia | Documentary | 110 m|2024
In the form of diaries, the filmmaker narrates four tumultuous years of a nation in turmoil, battling to break free from its own chains. As the country is shaken by disruptions. How can we continue to dream when the world around us is collapsing?
Gazan Tales by Mahmoud Nabil Ahmed
Palestine, Tunisia | Documentary | 82 m | 2024.
In the heart of the beloved Gaza Strip, four men navigate through divergent paths in pursuit of their own definitions of existence, intertwining their fates amidst the complexities of life, love, and survival. As the film unfolds, viewers are immersed in the daily lives of these men, observing how they navigate their routines alongside their families in their beloved city.
Madaniya by Mohamed Subahi
Sudan | Documentary | 75 m| 2024.
Three young people from Sudan struggle to change their lives while the country undergoes significant changes during the Sudanese revolution that began on December 19, 2018. What awaits them?
The Life That Remains by Dorra Zarrouk
Egypt | Documentary | 79 m| 2024.
Nadine, a young woman from Gaza, arrived in Egypt three months after the war, accompanied by her infant daughters, whom she had given birth to a few months before the war after five years of hardship. In Egypt, she awaits her husband, who will not be able to join her for another two months.