Latest news with #CinemathequeIraq
Saba Yemen
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Saba Yemen
Iraqi Flag is raised for First time at Cannes Film Festival
Baghdad - (Saba): The 2025 Cannes International Film Festival witnessed a historic moment when the Iraqi flag was raised for the first time in its history. This took place during the official screening of the classic Iraqi film "Saeed Effendi" (produced in 1956, directed by Kamran Hosni), marking Iraq's first official participation in this prominent international cinematic event. This participation was the result of the efforts of the Cinema Support Initiative and the selection of the Al-Hassan Ibn Al-Haytham Committee for the Visual Memory of Iraq, affiliated with the Prime Minister's Office, in cooperation with the French National Institute of Audiovisual Arts (INA). The film was restored using 4K technology, using the original negative, to be displayed in a high quality befitting its artistic and historical stature. The screening was attended by a large number of film lovers and critics from around the world, in an exceptional celebratory moment that evoked Iraq's visual memory and presented its creative heritage to a distinguished international audience. This participation falls within the framework of the "Cinematheque Iraq" project, which aims to preserve and enhance the Iraqi cinema archive. The project includes the restoration and preservation of 104 feature films produced between the 1940s and the beginning of the second millennium, with support from the French Embassy in Baghdad and the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, and implementation by Expertise France. For its part, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities expressed its pride in this cultural achievement, affirming its commitment to continuing to support film archiving projects, preserving Iraq's cultural heritage, and promoting it locally and internationally. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Shafaq News
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Shafaq News
Saïd Effendi: Iraqi film landmark to showcase at Cannes
Shafaq News/ Iraq's 1956 cinematic classic Saïd Effendi has been officially selected for the 'Cannes Classics' section at the 78th Cannes International Film Festival, the Al-Hassan Ibn Al-Haytham Higher Committee for the Iraqi Visual Memory announced on Wednesday. The committee, which operates under the Iraqi Prime Minister's Office, hailed the selection as a 'landmark moment' for Iraqi cinema. According to the committee's statement, the film's inclusion follows an extensive restoration effort carried out as part of the Cinematheque Iraq initiative, with support from the French Embassy in Baghdad, France's Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, and the French development agency Expertise France. Restored in 4K by the French National Audiovisual Institute (INA), Saïd Effendi is now archived in Iraq's national film memory collection. The film, based on the short story Shijar by Edmon Sabri, is regarded as a cornerstone of Iraqi filmmaking from the mid-20th century, with its screening at Cannes seen as a milestone to preserve and elevate Iraq's cultural and cinematic legacy on the global stage. The broader Cinematheque Iraq project focuses on safeguarding 104 Iraqi narrative films produced between the 1940s and early 2000s.
