ِConcluding our #ArabCinemanth, we invite our audiences to explore some of the most promising works in the Arab region through 4 short films from Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia and Palestine. From the 1st to the 6th of June we will be screening 4 critically-acclaimed and award-winning Arab shorts daily at 7:30 PM. These are Sherif El Bendary's Dry Hot Summers (Egypt), which was part of the 2016 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival Official Selection, Basil Khalil's 2016 Academy Award nominated "Ave Maria" (Palestine), Ely Dagher's 2015 Palme d'Or Winner "Waves 98" (Lebanon) and Jamil Najjar's "Ghasra" (Tunisia), which premiered at the 2016 Dubai International Film Festival.

Ave Maria
directed by Basil Khalil
min | 2015 | Palestine / France / Germany 14 |

The Nuns of the ‘Sisters of Mercy’ convent in the middle of the West Bank wilderness have their daily routine of silence and prayer disrupted when a family of religious Israeli settlers crashes their car into the convent’s wall. The Sabbath is approaching and they need to get home urgently, however because of the religious laws, the Israelis can’t operate a phone to call for assistance, and the Nuns have taken a vow of silence. Together they must come up with an unorthodox plan to help them get home.

Dry Hot Summers
directed by Sherif El Bendary
30 min | 2015 | Egypt/Germany |

Two lonely people at opposite chapters of life accidentally meet on a busy summer day in a Cairo taxi. Frail old Shawky and bubbly young Doaa are both caught up in their busy routines as their race through the city evolves into a journey of self-discovery that reconnects them to life.

Ghassra
directed by Jamil Najjar
26 mins | 2015 | Tunisia |

Ghassra, an Arab taxi driver faces difficulties answering nature’s call. He wants to relieve himself by a tree, but is challenged by the election candidate, the soccer fan, the extremist and the policeman.
 

Waves 98
directed by Ely Dagher
14 min | 2015 | Lebanon, Qatar |

Disillusioned with his life in the suburbs of segregated Beirut, Omar's discovery lures him into the depths of the city. Immersed into a world that is so close yet so isolated from his reality that he eventually finds himself struggling to keep his attachments, his sense of home.

Zawya's Adress: Behind Odeon Cinema, 4 Abdel Hamid Said, off Talaat Harb st. Downtown, Cairo

How to get tickets to Zawya:
1) Buy your ticket at the cinema before the screening
2) Online from: http://www.elcinema.com/zawya/
3) If you're a Vodafone customer you can book your ticket by calling 2121