The Fundación Tres Culturas dedicates the month of July to comedies from the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
The different films, in which a sense of humour is the predominant note, will show us their directors' abilities to deal with issues of great transcendence with an ironic and disconcerting look that will make us reflect on the different strategies used to make us smile.
We begin the cycle with the latest clandestine work by the Iranian Jafar Pahani, Tehran Taxi, a clear exponent of resistance cinema. This director was condemned by the Persian authorities not to work as a filmmaker for twenty years, but he used his ingenuity and talent to make this third clandestine film, circumventing his government's ban. One example of this ingenuity was the sending of the film 'This is not a film'.hidden in a cake, on a flash drive to the Cannes Film Festival.
We will continue to Ghadia gentle satire that comes to us from Lebanon in which we will see a parade of lovable and bizarre characters.
We have also included an award-winning short film from Palestine, Hail Maryby young directors Basil Khalil and Daniel Yáñez Khalil. On the same day, we continue with the Turkish film The Internationalby Sırrı Süreyya Önder, which tells the story of a very peculiar music band that causes a major altercation. This film is being screened thanks to the collaboration of Turkish House. The cycle will close with the film, My land by the Algerian directorMohamed HamidiThrough a journey of discovery to the land of his ancestors, a confused young man searches for his identity.
Tuesday 19 July, 20:30.
Ave Maria (C) Short
Basil Khalil, Daniel Yáñez Khalil, Palestine/France/Germany, 2015, 15 min.
Synopsis
The quiet routine of five Carmelite nuns is abruptly interrupted when the car of a family from Israeli settlers Jews crash in front of his house in West Bank against a statue of Mary.
They call for help to return to their colony. At first, no one opens the door, as the Carmelites' vow of silence is not to be disturbed. But finally they discover to their horror that the statue has been decapitated in the accident.
The settlers ask for assistance over the phone, but on the Sabbath no technical team answers. They try calling for a taxi; however, the Arabs demand exorbitant prices, as they are Jewish.
Finally they repair an old car. To avoid being shot at by the Jews, because it is an Arab car, they place a large statue on the roof and continue their journey.
2015: Oscar Awards: Nominated for Best Fiction Short Film.
The International, (Beynelmilel)
In collaboration with Turkish House.
Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Turkey, 2006, 105 min.
Synopsis:
The year is 1982. In a small Turkish town, a dim-witted army commander is determined to turn a group of street musicians into a proper military band. After forcing them to dress up in old French uniforms that had long been in storage, he orders them to compose and perform a welcome march for a visiting official delegation. Haydar, a student fascinated by communism, and the orchestra director's daughter also prepare a welcome, albeit of the opposite sign. In an act of rebellion, they want the Internationale to be played over the public address system during the reception. Events take a tragicomic turn when the orchestra and the two rebels cross paths.
Portuguese