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The Night of Counting the Years (El Mumia)
Shadi Abdelsalam; Egypt, 1969, 102 min
An impressive directorial debut by ex-art director Shadi Abdelsalam, this film is an examination of cultural imperialism
in reverse, where Western merchants steal rarities from Egyptian tombs. At first posed in moral terms - should the new chief
of an Egyptian tribe allow his people to earn money by selling antiquities from 'officially' undiscovered tombs, or stop
the trade at the cost of curtailing income for his poor people - the film develops into a study of the importance of defending
the past from cultural exploiters. Slow-moving, but absorbing and beautifully shot.
Mon 8 Jan
Fahrenheit 451 in association with Alliance Francaise
Dir Francois Truffaut; GB, 1966, 112 min
Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which paper burns. Based on Ray Bradbury's science fiction novel about a society
which has banned books in the interests of material well-being, Truffaut's underrated film is less science fiction than a
tale of a time past. A fascinating departure from style for Truffaut, with English dialogue, shot by Nicolas Roeg, and starring
Oskar Werner, Julie Christie, Cyril Cusack, Anton Diffring.
Mon 15 Jan
The Clay Bird
Tareque Masud; Bangladesh, 2003, 89 min
In the context of political tension in the late 1960s, Anu, a shy boy from rural East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), is sent
away by his father, an orthodox Muslim, to a madrasah (Islamic school). Separated from his family and the warmth of his region's
Hindu festivities, Anu struggles to adapt to the harsh monastic life. Back in the village, the gulf of misunderstanding between
his parents grows, reflecting the increasing divide between moderate and extremist forces in the madrasah. The conflicts intensify
and the country is wracked by political upheaval, culminating in the outbreak of civil war. Winner of the FIPRESCI Award,
Cannes Film Festival.
Mon 22 Jan
Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin) in association with Goethe-Institut
Wim Wenders; Germany, 1987, 128 min
Part romance, part comedy, part meditation on matters political and philosophical, Wenders's remarkable film posits a
world haunted by invisible angels listening to our thoughts. The minimal plot concerns two kindly angels (Bruno Ganz and Otto
Sander) posted to contemporary Berlin, who encounter a myriad of mortals, including an ageing writer blighted by memories
of a devastated Germany; actor Peter Falk shooting a film about the Nazi era; and a lonely trapeze artist with whom Ganz falls
in love, thus prompting his desire to become mortal at last. It's full of astonishingly hypnotic images (courtesy of veteran
cinematographer Henri Alekan), and manages effortlessly to turn Wenders' and Peter Handke's poetic, literary script into pure
cinematic expression.Perhaps not a masterpiece, but few films are so rich, so intriguing, or so ambitious. Time Out.
Mon 29 Jan
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