Zurich film festivals focus on women and Arabic culture
A scene from 'Lift Like a Girl' by Mayye Zayed. The documentary tells the story of female weightlifters in Alexandria, Egypt. It is being shown at the Arab Film Festival Zurich.
iaffz.com/Mayye Zayed
Two film festivals in Zurich are shining the spotlight on women’s documentary filmmaking and Arab culture: the Women in Film Festival and the Arab Film Festival Zurich.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Português
pt
Festivais de cinema de Zurique se concentram na mulher e na cultura árabe
The third edition of the Women in Film FestivalExternal link (WIFF), which runs from November 18-20), features documentaries by women about women. These include Be My Voice, the story of women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad’s struggle against the Iranian regime, Mothers and Others about four Latvian women in different stages of pregnancy or Justice In Movement: Reclaiming Our Minds, Bodies, and City, a film about the impact of mass incarceration on women’s bodies and minds.
With Roots and Wings by Fabiola Filippopulos and Do You Remember Me? by Désirée Pomper and Helen Müller, two Swiss productions are in the programme. The latter tells the story of Sara Aduse, who was circumcised as a seven-year-old in Ethiopia. In order to find inner peace, the Zurich-born adolescent seeks out the person who performed the circumcision.
Over three days, a total of 31 short and feature-length films will be shown in 11 themed sessions. The content ranges from sports to domestic violence, music, spirituality, politics and family.
More
More
Andrea Štaka’s films speak the language of women and migrants
This content was published on
Andrea Štaka, Switzerland’s most important female director, discusses issues of multicultural identity.
The sixth Arab Film Festival ZurichExternal link, which runs from November 17-27, highlights Arab cinema and culture. Seventeen feature films and 25 short films will be shown, including the Swiss-Egyptian co-production Big Little Women by Nadia Fares.
The documentary explores the question of whether one can speak lovingly about feminist struggles with an enlightened patriarch. The filmmaker, whose father is Egyptian, explores the effects of patriarchal tradition by mirroring the West and the East.
The supporting programme of the film festival includes panels with filmmakers from Jordan and Lebanon. In addition, a symposium will focus on the work of Saudi women in film and other creative fields. Short films from the film school in Mosul will also be shown. This was founded in 2022 by UNESCO and the Belgian theatre NTGent, where the Swiss director Milo Rau is artistic director.
More
More
Theatre director Milo Rau, the friendly revolutionary
This content was published on
Milo Rau is probably the most famous Swiss theatre director in the world. What is the secret of his success?
Moderate price growth expected for Swiss real estate market
This content was published on
Swiss property prices rose modestly in 2024, according to a quarterly barometer - a trend that is expected to remain this year.
Romeo Lacher steps down at Julius Bär and Swiss National Bank
This content was published on
Romeo Lacher will not stand for re-election as Julius Bär chair and will also step down from his role at the Swiss central bank this year.
Alpiq CEO sees security of supply at risk without EU treaty
This content was published on
The security of Switzerland’s future electricity supply is at risk unless a deal with the European Union can be concluded, warns a Swiss energy company boss.
This content was published on
Despite selling more than ten million purely battery-powered vehicles worldwide last year, growth in the e-car market is slowing.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Kurdish film director finds safety – and success – in Switzerland
This content was published on
Can a film help host countries and refugees learn to live together? Yes, says Mano Khalil, a Syrian-Kurdish-Swiss filmmaker.
This content was published on
Female directors in Switzerland are getting angry about the lack of equality in funding and the representation of women who work in the industry.
This content was published on
Female directors have won all three main prizes at the 16th Zurich Film Festival. The audience award went to a Swiss film.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.