The Best Times by Hala Khalil (Egypt, 2004, 113 min, 35 mm)  U.S. Premiere

Synopsis:

The latest box-office hit from Egypt, The Best Times marks the new wave of social drama in Egyptian cinema. Popular actress Hanan Turk is Salma, a young woman who struggles with an overwhelming sense of loneliness after the unexpected death of her mother, is forced to leave her stepfather’s house in a rich suburb of Cairo, she returns to Shobra, the popular neighborhood where she grew up. A series of anonymous letters and a cassette of her beloved singer Mohammed Mounir send her on a journey to rediscover her past and her relationship with her estranged stepfather.
In Arabic w/English subtitles

Post-screening panel discussion with filmmaker Hala Khalil and Mona Eltahawy (Arabic Women’s eNews).  Program co-presented by Arabic Women’s eNews.

Filmmaker’s Bio:

Hala Khalil obtained her degree in film directing from the Film Academy in Cairo in 1992. She made some short films and documentaries, including: Ahbabac Ashra (2000), Jamal al-Thaoura (1999) and Hillopolis (2002). She has also made a TV-series titled Shabab Online. Her award winning short film The Kite participated in many festivals, winning international acclaim. The Best Times is her first feature film.

Festivals and Awards:

• Second Prize, Rotterdam Arab Film Festival, 2004

Reviews:

The film begins with the enjoyable song Al Donya Risha Fi Hawa…aka Life is a feather in the air, in the voice of Saad Abd El Wehab, whilst at the end of the film we listen to the same song sung by Mouhamed Mounir.. Between the beginning and the end Hala Khalil the new director revives [sic]. She carefully paints live feeling, she whispers through the accumulated scenes a drama of her vision, that through the jam of life we lose our communication ability as we fail to get to know the others, and above all, we fail to know ourselves!
— Tarek El Shinnawi , www.arab-celebs.com

Print Source:

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Mohandeseen
Cairo, Egypt
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Email: aracinema@yahoo.com