The Culturist Film Club - Online: Atlantique (April 19) & Exterior / Night (April 21)
Scene from Right Now, Wrong Then (Hong Sang-soo, 2015)
A couple of days ago, I posted a poll on The Culturist’s Twitter and Instagram account asking if anyone would be interested if I start an online film club, where participants have a few days to watch a film I suggest, and then we meet online to discuss on a specific date.
The final result was a combined number of 70 votes for yes and a few voted no.
My film programming for Louvre Abu Dhabi is on hold, so I thought I’d give this a try. There are countless film viewing parties online right now, and I wanted to do something different by suggesting a film you can watch at your own pace and time, and then have a few of us get together online to talk about it.
I’m not interested in a live viewing party and posting comments online whilst watching a film together, i.e. on Netflix Parties, etc.
I prefer having a few people actually speak together, even if we aren’t in the same room.
This is an experiment and I’m not even sure if it will work the way I want it to, or if I will enjoy the experience. Ideally, this is something I would host in a film screening venue, but since that is not an option now, I decided to try this. If it doesn’t work, then this will be a one off event.
I selected two films that are easy to access and watch on Netflix. If this experiment works, I will suggest more films, and on other platforms too.
The online film club discussion dates are Sunday, April 19 at 7.00pm (UAE) and Tuesday, April 21, 7.00pm (UAE). Each session will last for 30-40 mins. So you have a few days to watch each film before the scheduled discussion.
Here are the details:
Atlantics / Atlantique
Director: Mati Diop
Senegal, 2019, Wolof, French with English Subtitles, 105 min
Mati Diop’s critically acclaimed film Atlantics (Atlantique) first premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival where it was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or (making Diop the first black woman to direct a film featured in competition at the festival). Since it’s premiere it screened at many film festivals and is now available to watch on Netflix.
A haunting film about love, loss, and about the people left behind to grief. It has a great music score by music composer, DJ and conceptual artist Fatima Al Qadiri.
Film synopsis:
Along the Atlantic coast, a soon-to-be-inaugurated futuristic tower looms over a suburb of Dakar. Ada, 17, is in love with Souleiman, a young construction worker. But she has been promised to another man. One night, Souleiman and his co-workers disappear at sea. Soon after, they come back to haunt their old neighbourhood by taking possession of the girlfriends they left behind.
Some of the workers have come claiming revenge and threaten to burn the tower down if the developer does not pay their wages. But Souleiman has come back for Ada, so they can be together one last time
Online film club discussion date: Sunday, April 19 at 7.00pm (UAE time)
RSVP: Please send an email to hind.mezaina@gmail.com by April 18, 9.00pm (UAE).
I will send you information on how to connect online for the discussion by the end of day on April 18.
Format: I will most probably use Zoom since almost everyone seems to be using it for online video meetings.
Exterior / Night - Leil Khargi
Director: Ahmed Abdalla
Egypt, 2018, Arabic with English subtitles, 97 min
Ahmad Abdalla’s Exterior Night premiered at TIFF in 2018 and was screened at several film festivals after. It received a theatrical release in UAE cinemas last year and is now available on Netflix.
Set in Cairo, the film is about people’s relationship with their city, class and gender inequalities, and the relationship between cinema and the city.
Ahmad Abdalla’s previous films include Heliopolis (2009), Microphone (2010), 18 Days (2011), Rags & Tatters (2013).
Film synopsis:
A taxi ride takes young filmmaker, Moe, from his upper class world to meet two strangers exposing the unknown side of underground Cairo at night.
Moe, Toutou, Mostafa, three individuals meeting at one extraordinary night, breaking the social norm and flirting with its boundaries, each is fighting his/her own battle, leading to a journey they didn‘t expect inside their city, and they see a side of it they never witnessed before.
Online film club discussion date: Tuesday, April 21 at 7.00pm (UAE time)
RSVP: Please send an email to hind.mezaina@gmail.com by April 20, 9.00pm (UAE).
I will send you information on how to connect online for the discussion by the end of day on April 20.
Format: Will most probably use Zoom for this session too.
