CAIRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - FINAL DAY

The first of the last two picks of this festival is a Turkish movie about an unscrupulous politician. In competition at Cannes, "Three Monkeys" received good reviews. It seems to be a bit on the rough side and slow but still worth seeing for many. "Three monkeys" will be screened today, Sunday, November 28 at Metro Cinema at 9:30 PM. You can read a review here


"The Night of the Innocents" is a Cuban movie about a young man who lands, severely beaten, in an hospital in Havana on the night of December 28 (hence the title). It will be screened at the Nile City 1 Cinema at 9:30 PM. You can read a review here

And one last tip: if you haven't seen it yet, do not lose last opportunity to see the Italian movie "Gomorra", showing at 9:30 at the Nile City 2 Cinema.

Full program of the last day of the Festival at http://www.cairofilmfest.org

AGENDA MUSIC NOV. 29 - DEC 5

Saturday, November 29, 2008

- Cairo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andreas Spörri with soloist Mohamed Hamdy (Clarinet) presents works from Rossini, von Weber, Rachmaninov and Brahms in the Main Hall of the Cairo Opera House 8:00 PM

- The Egyptian Philarmonic Society conducted by Ahmed Al-Saedi with soloist Laura Mikkola (Piano) presents works from Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert at the Manasterly Palace 8:00 PM

- Anoushka (The famous Egyptian singer of Armenian descent presents a repertoire of Arabic songs) in the Wisdom Hall of El-Sawi Cultural Centre 8:00 PM

- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray 8:30 PM

- The Cairo Opera Company presents “The Medium”, opera by Gian Carlo Menotti at the Gomhouria Theatre 8:00 PM

Sunday, November 30, 2008

- AUC Chamber Singers Recital conducted by John Baboukis in the Art Gallery of AUC New Cairo Campus 7:30 PM

- The Arab Music Heritage Ensemble conducted by Farouk El-Babli at the Arabic Music Institute at 22, Ramsis St. 8:00 PM

- Bashir at After 8 10:00 PM

- El-Nil Troupe for folk instruments (Folk music and songs) at Beit Al-Suheimi 8:00 PM

- The Cairo Opera Company presents “The Medium”, opera by Gian Calrlo Menotti at the Gomhouria Theatre 8:00 PM

Monday, December 1, 2008

- Screwdriver, 19^th Band and Nagham Masri at the Cairo Jazz Club 9:30 PM

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

- Cairo Opera Company accompanied by the Cairo Opera Orchestra conducted by Nayer Nagui performs “La Bohème” by Giacomo Puccini in the Main Hall of the Cairo Opera House 8:00 PM

- The Religious Song Ensemble conducted by Essam Abdel Moneim celebrates the Season of Hajj in the Small Hall of the Cairo Opera House 8:00 PM

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

- Cairo Opera Company accompanied by the Cairo Opera Orchestra conducted by Nayer Nagui performs “La Bohème” by Giacomo Puccini in the Main Hall of the Cairo Opera House 8:00 PM

- Chamber Wind Ensemble conducted by Mohamed Hamdy plays music by Dvorak, R. Strauss and Abdel Rahim in the Small Hall of the Cairo Opera House 8:00 PM

- Mazaher Ensemble (Music of the Delta) at the Makan Centre 9:00 PM

- Osiris Singers in concert in the Ewart Memorial Hall of AUC Tahrir Square Campus 8:00 PM

- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray 8:30 PM

Thursday, December 4, 2008

- Cairo Opera Company accompanied by the Cairo Opera Orchestra conducted by Nayer Nagui performs “La Bohème” by Giacomo Puccini in the Main Hall of the Cairo Opera House 8:00 PM

- AUC Arab Music Ensemble conducted by Wael El Mahawally in the Art Galler of AUC New Cairo Campus 7:30 PM

Friday, December 5, 2008

- Cairo Opera Company accompanied by the Cairo Opera Orchestra conducted by Nayer Nagui performs “La Bohème” by Giacomo Puccini in the Main Hall of the Cairo Opera House 8:00 PM

- City Band (Contemporary Egyptian Songs) in the Wisdom Hall of El-Sawi Cultural Centre 8:00 PM

CAIRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DAY 9

Today I chose two beautiful movies about women. My first pick of the day is an Award winning Spanish movie called "La Soledad". It is a no-frill portrait of women's life in present day Spain with a terrorist bomb thrown in to add further misery to their life. You can read a review here. La Soledad (Solitary Fragments) will be screened today, Thursday, November 27 at the Galaxy Cinema 7:00 PM



The second pick of the day is about the remarkable life of a woman born in the mid 19th century with exceptional artistic skills discovered by accident by an art dealer who employ her as maid. All seems set for an happy ending, but ... "Seraphine", a moving French movie about art and feelings will be screened at the Good News Cinema inside the Grand Hyatt at 12:00 AM and 6:30 PM



Full festival program at http://www.cairofilmfest.org

CAIRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DAY 8

Today you have a chance to see one of the best and most controversial Egyptian productions of the year. "Fawzeya's secret recipe", who participated in the Middle East Film Festival in Abu Dhabi, winning a prize for best actress, will be screened tonight, Wednesday, November 26 at 9:00 at the Good News cinema, inside the Grand Hyatt. For a review of the movie, click here


As for the second pick, I suggest a movie that has, on the surface, little to do with Egypt or the Arab world, ... but only on the surface. "Battle in Seattle" is a movie about the clashes (and what lies beneath) that marred the WTO meeting there in 1999. A political movie with a good cast (Charlize Theron is also there), it has been very well received by the public in the US and has been warmly recommended to me. "Battle in Seattle" will be screened at the Nile City 1 at 9:30 PM. To read a review, click here


Full festival program at http://www.cairofilmfest.org

CAIRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DAY 7

If you are landing on this blog these days for the first time, you might think that this is all about movies. Well, in fact it is not. Everybody who knows me and my blog knows as well that I am a musicophile (as Oliver Sacks would put it), hence the presence from the very beginning of the Weekly Agenda for Music, and - sadly -the delay in posting a Weekly Agenda for Figurative Arts (but it is coming).
Thing is, it is the film festival that rules for these ten days and the offer on the musical side is somehow scarce. I remind you that you can always access the latest weekly agenda for music from the link on the top right of the page.

And now to the two picks of the day. Whenever it makes sense, I tend to favour movies from the area or movies that are dealing with topics that are of more specific interest to somebody living in this part of the world, to enhance knowledge and understanding. The first pick of the day is a Turkish movie that deals with honour killings. "Hidden Faces" (you can read a review here) will be shown at Nile City 2 cinema today Tuesday, November 25 at 7:00 PM


The second pick of the day is a relatively old (1993) Mexican movie who has won several awards and is considered a masterpiece of Mexican Cinema. "The Beginning and the End" by Arturo Ripstein is a drama about the struggle against poverty of a middle-class family after the death of the family's breadwinner. If you are asking yourself what's the connection, well, it is an adaptation of the book with the same title from the great Naguib Mahfouz. "The Beginning and the End" will be screened at the Good News cinema inside the Grand Hyatt at 9:00 PM


Full program of the festival at http://www.cairofilmfest.org/default.aspx

CAIRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DAY 6

Only one pick today because I did not find anything else that I knew or heard about worth mentioning. "Shoot on Sight" is a British thriller about a police officer of Pakistani origin asked to investigate the police shooting of a terrorist suspect in the London underground (sounds familiar?). Predictably the movie has attracted mixed reviews. Today Monday, November 23 at 7:00 at the Cosmos 2 Cinema* you can decide for yourself.
To go to the movie website, click here and for reviews, here


Full festival program at www.cairofilmfest.org

* The Cosmos cinema is at 12, Amad El-Din St., Downtown

CAIRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DAY 5

A quiet yet emotionally intense movie about human relationship, is my first pick of the day. The Spanish/Polish production "Awaking from a dream" will be shown today, Saturday, November 23 at 4:00 PM at City Stars 1 Cinema. Click here to go to the movie's website, and here for a review of the movie.
And if you have the afternoon free, do consider to stay for the next movie at the same cinema, Almodovar's wonderful "Volver", with Penelope Cruz, starting at 7:00 PM.


And a deeply introspective movie about an old Indian Shakespearean actor coming to term with the passing of time is my second pick. "The Last Lear" will be shown at 6:30 Pm at Good News Cinema. Click here to go to the movie's website and here for a review


Full program of the festival here