The Gate of the Sun (Bab Al Shams) by Yousry Nasrallah, France 2003
Saturday, September 17: 6PM
 
Synopsis:
 
Yousry Nasrallah's powerful adaptation of Lebanese writer Elias Khoury's epic novel of fifty years of Palestinian dispossession, exile, and resistance. The film follows the flight of Younes, his wife Nahila, and those around them, from their village in northern Palestine to a refugee camp in Lebanon. Some vow to continue the struggle, most simply struggle to survive. Unsparingly detailing the impact of the nakba (disaster) on Palestinian life and society and the refugees' often-contentious relationship with their reluctant Lebanese hosts, Gate of the Sun spans generations, mixing personal stories with historical events. (NYFF). In Arabic and French with English subtitles.
Filmmaker’s Biography:
 
Born 1952 in Cairo. After studying economics and political science, he went to live in Lebanon where he became a journalist. He began his career in film in 1980 as assistant to Volker Schlöndorff on Die Fälschung and to Youssef Chahine on Al-Dhakira and Adieu Bonaparte which he also co-wrote. In 1987, he directed his first film Summer Thefts, produced by Youssef Chahine and considered as one of the films that most contributed to the revival of Egyptian cinema. He carried on his collaboration with Chahine as co-director of Alexandria Again and Forever (1990) and Cairo as Seen by Chahine (1991). In 1994, he directed Marcides and, in 1995, the documentary On Boys, Girls and the Veil. In 1999, El Medina was awarded the Special Jury Prize in Locarno Film Festival. In 2004, his film The Gate of Sun (Bab El Chams), taken from Elias Khoury's novel, was presented in the Cannes Official Selection (out of competition).
Festivals and Awards:
 
• San Francisco Arab Film Festival, 2005
• New York Film Festival, 2004
Print Source:
 
Pyramide Distribution (2004) (France) (theatrical)
Pyramide Distribution
5 Rue du Chevalier de Saint-George
75008 Paris, France
Tel: 01 42 96 01 01 / Fax: 01 40 20 02 21
pricher@pyramidefilms.com