Festival Ciné–Palestine to screen film starring Hend Sabry

CAIRO - 7 June 2017: German/Jordanian film “The Parrot,” starring Tunisian actress and participant in Egyptian cinema Hend Sabry, will take part in the annual

Festival Ciné-Palestine

(FCP) that runs from June 2 to June 11.

Directed by Darin J. Salam and Amjad Al-Raseed, “The Parrot” revolves around a Mizrahi Jewish family that moves from Tunisia to Palestine following the declaration of the state of Israel in 1948. The family tries to settle in the city of Haifa in a home that belonged to a Palestinian family that fled, leaving a blue parrot called Saeed that haunts the family in their new lives.

The 18-minutes short film depicts Saeed, the talking parrot that tells stories of the past from when the Palestinian family lived in the house. Released in 2016, “The Parrot” already won Robert Bosch Stiflung’s Film Prize for Short Fiction Film.

FCP is taking place in France this year, portraying Palestine culture through 18 films that express Palestinian cinematographic work and supporting a new generation of artists.

Established by a group of amateurs of Palestinian cinema, FCP has received 25 submissions of films seeking to win jury and public awards. The films shortlisted include five Palestinian movies competing for awards during this edition.

Among the films shortlisted is “The Knife” by Taher Al-Azzeh. The short revolves around a young Palestinian man who is chased by the occupation army and surrenders himself to the Israeli army, according to FCP’s official website.

Another shortlisted film is “Six Fingers,” a 20-minute documentary by Fadi Idris that tells the story of a couple who are trying to have healthy children. Another documentary shortlisted is “The Living of the Pigeons” by Baha’s Abu Shabab, which depicts unpredictable incidents in Jerusalem.

Directed by Nidal Badarny, “Villagers” is also shortlisted in the festival, depicting a Palestinian love story that occurs along the separation wall. “Manshar Ghaselo” is another shortlisted documentary, directed by Areej Abu Eid and Al-Dasoki. The movie discusses the verbal sexual abuse that women are subjected to along with virtual rape.