Festival guide for Arab Film Days
Welcome to four days of quality films from the Arab world, as well as debates that give unique insight into the most relevant topics from the region. The entire festival takes place at Victoria cinema 16th -19th April.
This year we celebrate our 5th anniversary with great fanfare, hence we expand the festival with a whole extra day so we can show even more of the best productions out there. Interested in, studying or just love the Middle East, foreign policy, history, migration, religion, Arabic, Kurdish or Hebrew? Then this is the festival for you!
What to watch?
As much as possible! Self Made and Dancing in Jaffa are two feel-good movies with lots of charm and humour. In Champ of the Camp labour migrants compete in a Bollywood song competition, in the shadow of skyscrapers they themselves have built. We meet strong women in Casablanca Calling, Mother of the Unborn and Queens of Syria. Are you a Viggo Mortensen fan you absolutely must see suspenseful Far from Men. If history is more of your thing Views of the Ottoman Empire and Iraqi Odyssey are must sees. Epic scenes and visual breath-taking scenery you will find in both Atlantic. and Theeb, Kurdish irony at its best in Memories on Stone and Bergman style monochrome drama in Decor. Full program here!
Events
Director talks, debates and parties are also an essential part of the Arab Film Days. Here you get a full overview of what happens when and who you can meet where. Among our prominent guests are Naji Abu Nowar, selected Arab filmmaker of the year by Variety. Yemen's first female director Khadija al-Salami and Egyptian Nadine Salib, director of Mother of the Unborn, guests the festival. Full guest list here!
The silent film concert Views of the Ottoman Empire finally comes to Oslo, a magical journey one hundred years back in time to the Ottoman Empire in the form of extremely rare footage from Istanbul, Cairo and Baghdad among others. Accompanied by live harp, clarinet and travelogues the mood is set.
Save Saturday for partying with Atlas band and friends, playing Arab rhythms in the cinema cellar from 10 pm till late into the night. Arabian Nights is the spring's hottest party with a legendary dance floor where the temperature will rise as the sun in the Sahara.
We have several free events that any one interested can attend. See the full overview here.
To arrange your tickets
It is simple; students can get the festival pass for 350 NOK, and everyone else for 470 NOK. Seeing all 21 films gives a unit price of 17 NOK and 23 NOK per film. Single tickets cost 100 NOK. Tickets can be purchased in the online program, on www.nordiskfilmkino.no and at all their outlets. More info about tickets and festival passes here!
Rush Ticket
This year we will have a Rush Ticket queue at the opening on Thursday, it means that if you have a full festival ticket and there are vacant seats in the theatre after the doors are closed, we will continuously fill them up from the queue. It is therefore important that you are on time, even if you have a ticket. The films start on time and there is (thankfully) no advertising.
Fuel the engine
Do not forget to eat, intake of nutrients is highly recommended during festivals. Victoria cinema serves tasty dishes in the café during the festival and you are actually allowed to bring your glass with you into the theatre.
Further questions?
If you have any questions regarding movies, programs, debates, food, dancing or whatever else, you should talk to the volunteers in yellow t-shirts from BABEL filmklubb. They have an information booth at Victoria cinema. Do not hesitate to ask, we want to do our best to make sure you have a fantastic festival experience!
Let the fun times begin!