WOMEN IN CINEMA, Film Club at the Goethe Institute in Cairo

Starting tomorrow Monday March 1, 2010 the Goethe Institute will screen a series of movies where women have a central role either as directors or as actresses. On program for this first evening are two Egyptian productions, the short movie "Rise and Shine" by Sherif Al Bendary (2006) and the movie "Sheherazade, Tell me a story" (2009) by Yousry Nasrallah. Both movies are in Arabic with English subtitles.
Screening starts at 7:00 PM and takes place at the Goethe Institute, 5, Shera Al Bustan - Downtown. Free entry.

For the complete program and movies synopsis (in German only), click here.

ESEDRA (Italy) in concert at the MAKAN

Thanks once again to Yahya Mekkawi for attracting my attention to the concert of the Italian band ESEDRA that will take place tomorrow, Monday March 1st 2010 at the Makan, 9:00 PM.
You can listen to a couple of their song and know more about them at their website (unfortunately only in Italian language)

WEEKLY AGENDA MUSIC FEB. 27 - MAR. 5

Saturday, February 27, 2010

- Cairo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andreas Spörri with soloist Inès Abdel Daim (Flute) present works from Berlioz, Khachaturian and Shostakovich in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Ali El Ward (Iraq/Arabic music) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Instrumental Therapy & THE (Progressive Rock) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM
- Massar Egbari (Rock) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:30 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray 8:30 PM

Sunday, February 28, 2010

- “Nordic Gala” with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nader Abbassi with soloists Stefanos Thomopoulos (piano), Mona Rafla (Soprano) and Jolie Faizy (Mezzo-Soprano) present works by Stenhammar, N/ielsen and Grieg in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Mahmoud Osman violin recital in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- George Kazazian (Oud) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM
- The Riff Band at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Cocoon Band (Latin jazz) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:30 PM
- Al-Enshad Al-Dini religious song ensemble at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- Saama troupe, Indonesian troupe and Coptic troupe for religious singing at the Ghouri Palace, 8:00 PM
- El-Nil Troupe for folk instruments (Folk music and songs) at Beit Al-Suheimi 8:00 PM
- Bashir (Nubian music) at the After8 Club, 10:00 PM

Monday, March 1, 2010
- Chamber music concert celebrating the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth, with Elena Dzamashvili (Piano), Mohamed Abdel Fattah (Cello), Dina Iskander (Soprano) and Iman Samy (Piano) in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- String Quartet featuring Mounir Nasr El Din (Violin) in the Oriental Hall of AUC Downtown Campus, 8:00 PM
- Esedra (Italy/Jazz) at the Makan, 9:00 PM
- El Mahatta (Contemporary Egyptian music) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM
- Wust El Balad (Modern oriental and jazz fusion) at the After8 Club, 10:00 PM
- DJ Tito (Minimal house) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:30 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray 8:30 PM

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

- Amal Maher in the Small Hall of the Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Nass Makan (Nubian music, Zikr and Sufi songs, Sudanese music and songs) at the Makan Centre 9:00 PM
- Sodfa Band (Egyptian music) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Pirates on Parade (Acoustic covers) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

- Chamber music concert celebrating the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth, with Elena Dzamashvili (Piano), Mohamed Abdel Fattah (Cello), Dina Iskander (Soprano) and Iman Samy (Piano) in the Ewart Memorial Hall of AUC Downtown Campus, 8:00 PM
- Mazaher Ensemble (Music of the Delta) at the Makan Centre 9:00 PM
- Asfalt - El Zero – Arab Rap Family - Samy Z (Hip Hop and Rap) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM
- Gowaya Aghat (Egyptian music) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray 8:30 PM
- DJ Ramsi (Funky house) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM

Thursday, March 4, 2010
- Cairo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Taha Nagui with soloist Haitham Ibrahim (Piano) present works from Rossini and Mozart in the Small hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Heritage Ensemble for Arab Music at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- Sahra (Rai music) at the After8 Pub, 10:00 PM
- Yehya Khalil (Jazz) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM

Friday, March 5, 2010

- Iman Nour El Din piano recital in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Coptic Hymns Ensemble conducted by Diaa Sabri at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- Salalem (Arabic music) at the After8 Pub, 10:00 PM DJ Carlos at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM

THE FELUKULELES "The Old Bazar in Cairo" video

Catchy tune, lovely shooting and one or two people you might know here and there. This video by the FELUKULELES is great fun and a delight for anybody who live and love Cairo.

Thank you and good luck, Felukuleles.

Italian Movie Night at AUC

Itaca, the Italian Student Association of the American University in Cairo presented the 2010 program of the Italian Film Forum. The first movie of the series will be "Nuovomondo" (The Golden Door) by Emanuele Crialese (2006) that will be screened tomorrow Tuesday, February 23 at 7:00 PM in Room 209 of the Main Building in Tahrir Campus with a special introduction by the writer Vincenzo Mattei.

Nuovomondo, 'The New World', is the story of a poor Italian family migrating to America at the beginning of the XX^th century. Their dream of endless prosperity, tastefully portrayed by Crialese through the intermission of surrealist scenes in seas of milk and giant vegetables, has its darker counterpart in the strict examinations each family member undergoes once arrived. Through the story of this family the movie portrays the irreducible dignity of past and present migrants.

The movie will be in Italian language with English subtitles. Free Entry.

Festival of Argentinian Cinema in Cairo

A four-day Festival of Argentinian Cinema was inaugurated yesterday at the Artistic Creativity Center in the Cairo Opera House Grounds. The festival, organized by the Argentinian Embassy in Cairo and the Instituto Cervantes de El Cairo will continue today, Monday February 22, 2010 at 7:00 PM with the screening of the movie "La Camara Oscura" (2008). Tuesday 23 at 7:00 PM will be screened the movie "El Otro" (2007) and finally Wednesday 24 at 6:00 PM the movie "Historias extraordinarias" (2008).
All movies are in Spanish language with English subtitles. Free entry until seats are available; you are requested to be there half an hour before projection time in order to collect a ticket. No entry below 16 years old.

CD tip: KAMILYA JUBRAN & WERNER HASLER "Wameedd"

I got to know (artistically, not personally) Kamilya Jubran last year on the occasion of the concert she gave here in Cairo after the screening of the wonderful movie "Telling Strings", a portrait of her family that is essentially an insight in the life of Palestinians who chose not to leave Israel.

She came on stage alone with her oud and after the first chords I immediately understood that there was something special in the way she plays the instrument and she uses her voice. While I cannot claim to be an oud expert, I came to love the instrument after I arrived in Cairo and am building a collection of oud records. Kamilya Jubran's music has an edge of originality and experimentation in it that makes it not easy at first hearing but still grips you emotionally.

"Wameedd" was released in 2005 and has been made available here in Egypt with the cooperation of Al Mawred al-Thaqafi. It is on sale at Diwan, Al Kotob Khan or at the stand of Al Mawred on the occasion of the concerts at the Geneina Theatre.

Visit Kamilya Jubran website to listen to extracts from the record.