El Gouna Film Festival just announced the titles of five Egyptian feature films that will be showcased this year. Let's get a glimpse of this array of narrative and documentary feature films.
50 Meters (Feature Documentary Competition)
This film is a documentary by director Yomna Khatab. In her debut, the documentary takes place around an outdoor swimming pool in Cairo, where Yomna's father and his friends spend time. The film discusses existential questions about career, parenthood, and mortality through father-daughter conversations. Yomna clearly states in the trailer that she is going on this journey to spend more time with her father and to dispel some of her fears.
Life After Siham (Feature Documentary Competition)
The director, Namir Abdel Messeeh, decided to make this documentary after his mother's passing. It's a way for him to honour his mother's life. He started out with a desire to revive her memory and ended with the discovery that the experience of this documentary revived him after his creative block caused by grief.
The Settlement (Feature Narrative Competition)
Directed by Mohamed Rashad and inspired by real events, the film tells the story of two brothers, Hossam and Maro. After their father's death due to a workplace accident, the factory offers them jobs as compensation to prevent them from taking legal action. Hossam, a troublemaker, decides to step up and provide for his sick mother and brother. When he starts working in the factory, he begins to get suspicious about whether his father's death was totally accidental.
My Father's Scent (Feature Narrative Competition)
Starring Kamel El Basha, Ahmed Malek, and Mayan El Sayed, it's a story about a son reconnecting with his estranged father. They discover a lot about each other and try to settle their scores while on a prolonged night walk. The film is directed and produced by Mohamed Siam.
Love Imagined (Official Selection – Out of Competition)
Written and directed by Sarah Rozik, Love Imagined is her debut feature film. The events follow a university professor who finds himself in an unlikely love triangle, not knowing whether to follow his heart or mind. The film features several new appearances, including Seif Hemeida, Farida Ragab, and Afaf Mustafa.
