One of the goals of cinema is to erase the limits and spaces between cultures, places and people. By watching a film from a foreign country, people move in time and place from into a whole new place, and make friends with virtual people.

Usually, most of the foreign films shown in theatres are from certain countries, showing specific cultures like Europeans and American films.

To break that taboo, Zawya Cinema’s screens will feature new Yemeni films to be shown to the public and open to discussion the behind-the-scenes actions with their makers.

“Layth Lel Karama Godran” (“Dignity has no Walls”) is a political documentary film, describing the life of a young woman and two men in the protests that took place on 11 March 2011. The protests demanding the step-down of then-President Ali Saleh’s regime, in what has been named “Friday of dignity”. The film documents all the brutal and inhuman actions by the police to break up the demonstrations.

The film is the first Yemeni film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award in 2014.

“Beet El-Toot” (“Mulberry House”) is another documentary by the same director, outlining the history of relationships between family members specifically in Yemen.

Sara Ishaq, the director of both films, screened her own family talking about the ideas, perspectives, life beliefs and reasons beyond forcing her to get married at the age of 15.

“Beet El-Toot” (Mulberry House) focuses on the shifting dynamics happening in the history of and which created the modern Yemeni film frame. It also took into account their view points towards their identity and traditions of family and social connections.  It also focused on the effective role the women took in the Yemeni revolution.

The film will be shown for the first time in Egypt and an open discussion will be held between audience and the film makers afterwards in the Odeon cinema. The event will take place on 1 February in down town Cairo at 6:30.

Daily News Egypt