11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Al-Ahram Weekly
69 films to screen in the 25th Arab Film Festival Rotterdam
Celebrating 25 years of showcasing Arab cinema, the Rotterdam Arab Film Festival (RAFF, 28 May–1 June) has prepared a special program that speaks to multiple generations and amplifies timely voices from the region.
The 69 films will include 37 screened in cinema halls and 32 short films streamed online.
The feature film competition will showcase nine entries from Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Syria, as well as co-productions.
The documentary films competition boasts seven titles, many of which explore the current human condition entangled within the socio-political situations of their countries.
The selection includes Front Line by Sylvie Ballyot (France, Lebanon, Qatar), Gaza Overlooking the Sea by Mahmoud Nabil Ahmed (Palestine, Tunisia), My Memory is Full of Ghosts by Anas Al-Zawahiri (Syria), among others.
The short film competition has 14 entries, most of which are by Egyptian filmmakers, who present six titles. Palestine contributes four works alongside films from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Algeria.
Marking its silver jubilee, RAFF will also screen numerous titles out of competition and add special segments to shed light on women filmmakers and Palestine.
Women filmmakers in focus
This year, the festival's selection is especially notable for its strong representation of films directed by women.
The focus on women creators aligns with the 50th anniversary of the United Nations declaring the first International Women's Year.
As such, Rotterdam will spotlight women's voices, share their stories, and foster new connections and networks.
Their works affirm that film is an art form and a powerful means of self-expression and autonomy.
Featured films by women directors include Thank You for Banking With Us by Laila Abbas (Palestine), My Driver and I by Ahd Hassan Kamel (Saudi Arabia), The Life That Remains by Dorra Zarrouk (Tunisia), Women Who Loved Cinema (Ashiqat al-Cinema) by Marianne Khoury (Egypt), and Y(O)ur Mother by Samira El Mouzghibati (Morocco, Belgium).
Voices from Palestine
On 31 May, the Rotterdam Arab Film Festival will present four screenings dedicated to films from Palestine.
As the organizers explain, 'the selection offers a rare opportunity to experience Palestinian voices on screen — unfiltered, poetic, and politically urgent.'
The films include Memory and Hope (by various directors), Gazan Tales (2023, directed by Mahmoud Ahmed), The Life That Remains (2022, dir. Dorra Zarrouk), and Passing Dreams (2005, dir. Rashid Masharawi).
Through these films, a range of Palestinian stories — told by both Palestinian creators and others — are brought to life, inviting us not only to witness the struggle but also the strength, culture, and enduring force of hope.
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