Fourth Goethe Film Week to begin on April 12

CAIRO – 6 April 2018: The fourth edition of the Goethe Film Week will begin in Alexandria on April 12, showcasing a variety of German and Arab films across five days.

The film week opens up at the Goethe-Institute with director Fatih Akin's 2017 German revenge-drama "In the Fade" at 6 p.m. Starring Diane Kruger, the film centers around Katja (Kruger) a woman whose husband and son are killed in a terrorist attack by neo-Nazis, leaving her stricken with grief. After mourning the loss of her son and husband, Katja decides to take justice into her own hands when the law department fails her.



Following on from “In the Fade,” is the Egyptian documentary "I Have a Picture - Film No. 1001 In the Life of The Oldest Extra in the World". From director Mohamed Zedan, this is a documentary produced with the help of veteran Egyptian assistant director El Homossany. It is about Motawe Eweis, a man who has worked as an extra in over 1,000 Egyptian films since the 1940s.

The day will conclude with a jazz concert by the band "52nd street" at 9:30 p.m.
The second day will start at 4 p.m. in Teatro Eskendria with the German film "Magical Mystery or: The Return of Karl Schmidt" (2017) by Arne Feldhuse. This oddball comedy is about a man who recently recovered from a nervous breakdown, but finds himself dragged across an electronic music tour that brings back dark memories.

The next film will be screened at 6 p.m. at the Goethe-Institute. "Casting" (2017) is a film from director Nicolas Wackerbarth, and it follows behind-the-scenes attempt to shoot a TV movie remake of Fassbinder's "Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant", which leads into disaster as the perfectionist director finds herself unhappy with all the choices for the lead actress.

Egyptian film "The City Will Pursue You" (2017) caps off the day, being screened on 8 p.m. at the Goethe-Institute. This documentary explores the relationship six people in Alexandria have with soon-to-be demolished buildings around them.
On April 14, "The Legend of Timm Thaler or The Boy Who Sold His Laughter" (2017) by director Andreas Dresen will screen at the Goethe-Institute at 2 p.m. This family adventure film follows a little boy who butts heads with the devil, and tricks him into giving him all his laughter.

"Meteor Street" (2017) is the next film being screened on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Alexandria Center for Creativity. From director Aline Fischer, the film explores the lives of Arab immigrants in the city of Berlin as they struggle to live day by day, dealing with both poverty and racist attitudes. The final film of the day, "Taste of Cement" will be screened on 7 p.m., also at the Alexandria Center for Creativity. A joint production between Germany, the UAE, Lebanon, Syria and Qatar, this documentary by Ziad Kalthoum follows Syrian construction workers who are no longer able to return to their homes.



On Sunday, April 15, a special tribute to German filmmaker Haroun Farocki (1944-2014) will commence at 7 p.m. at the Goethe-Institute to discuss his life and works, and his film "Before Your Eyes - Vietnam" (1982) will be screened during this time. The film is a meditation on the horrors of the Vietnam War, it is a film that redirects focus onto the Vietnamese victims rather than shell-shocked U.S. soldiers.

Monday April 16, features the screening of "Lux- Warriors of Light" (2017) at the Jesuit Cultural Center at 7 p.m. This documentary by Daniel Wild explores a "real-life superhero" and his life spent fighting for justice.

The final day, April 17, features the screenings of the documentary film "Wild Heart" (2017) by Charly Hübner and Sebastian Schultz at 7 p.m. at the Jesuit Cultural Center, which explores a German Punk band's battle against right-wing extremism. Lastly, the Egyptian film "Cactus Flower" will screen at 8 p.m., also at the Jesuit Cultural Center.