Film no.14 Harvest 3,000 Years

Harvest 3,000 Years, Haile Gerima, Ethiopia, 1976

I’m always moved by films made out of necessity, by people who simply had to pick up a camera and shoot, to tell a story that no one else was telling. Particularly when those films are made under challenging circumstances. It’s easy for us, in the United States and in Europe, to take our systems and traditions for granted. Making a movie is always hard, but making a movie in an undeveloped nation, during a state of unrest, for and about a population that will have little chance of ever seeing it, is next to impossible.

The great Ethiopian filmmaker Haile Gerima came to UCLA to study filmmaking in the early 70s, and it was during that time that he conceived and made the film that you’re about to see, in a beautiful new restoration from the Cineteca di Bologna. Harvest 3000 Years was shot on black and white 16mm, over two weeks during Gerima’s summer vacation, with non-actors speaking Amharic, during the civil wars. It was made on the run, right after the overthrow of Haile Selassie and right before the installation of a military dictatorship. On top of everything else, Gerima was prepared to adapt the theme of his film to the most recent political developments. Difficult conditions, you might say. I’d call them all but impossible.

That sense of impossibility pervades every frame of Harvest 3000 Years. It has a particular kind of urgency which few pictures possess. This is the story of an entire people, and its collective longing for justice and good faith. An epic, not in scale but in emotional and political scope. —Martin Scorsese, World Cinema Foundation

Haile Gerima
Born in Gonder, Ethiopia in 1946, Haile Gerima is the fourth child of ten children.
His father was a writer and his mother a teacher. As a youth Gerima performed in his father's theater troupe, which presented original and often historical drama, always submersed in the genuine culture of Ethiopia.Gerima came to the U.S. in 1967 to study at the Goodman School of Drama. He slowly realized that "with cinema I could control many more things than the theatre." Gerima went on to receive his MFA from UCLA in 1976 and to produce several films. Hour Glass, and Child of Resistance were his first films, Bushmama and Harvest 3,000 Years followed, all produced during his years at UCLA.

Film no.13 Saladin and the Great Crusades

Saladin and the Great Crusades, Youssef Chahine, 1963

Saladin, ruler of the kingdoms surrounding the Latin state of Jerusalem, is brought to attack the Christians in the Holy Land by sacking a convoy of Muslim pilgrims, a group which included his sister. In a short campaign against odds, Jerusalem is taken and almost the entire Middle East is in Muslim hands. Crusade is called again in Europe, and the combined forces of the French king, German emperor, and English king form the 3rd Crusade, under the leadership of Richard the Lionheart of England. Although Accre is taken by the Crusaders, Saladin succeeds in preventing the recapture of Jerusalem, and in the end negotiations between himself and Richard (who Saladin admires as the only honorable leader) leave the Holy Land in Muslim hands. —IMDb

The 1963 film El Naser Salah el Dine (Saladin) is an historical epic by Egyptian Christian filmmaker Youssef Chahine and the second film (a black and white one appeared in 1941) about one of the most famous Muslim heroes ever, let alone of the Middle Ages, Salah ad-Din (a nickname meaning "Righteousness of the Faith"), "Saladin" in the West. The film also has an interesting subtext of conflating Saladin's reputation with that of then-Egyptian strongman Gamal Abdel Nasser. In the late 12th century, Saladin conquered the Arab world and reconquered most of the crusader states (including Jerusalem) for Islam before fighting English King Richard Lionheart to a draw in the Third Crusade. A film classic in Egypt, Saladin remains little known in the West. Ironically, it gives a view of Saladin that appears to be like the Western one on the surface, but is fundamentally different. At heart, Western contemporaries of Saladin saw him as an honorable Muslim outlaw. Modern Arabs, meanwhile, use the same stories to portray him as the paragon of a legitimate Arab ruler. -Suite 101

Youssef Chahine

Youssef Chahine (born in Alexandria, Egypt, 1926) started studying in a friars’ school, and then turned to English College until the High School Certificate. After one year in the University of Alexandria, he moved to the U.S. and spent two years at the Pasadena Play House, taking courses on film and dramatic arts. After coming back to Egypt, cinematographer Alevise Orfanelli helped him into the film business. His film debut was Baba Amin (1950): one year later, with Ibn el Nil (1951) he was first invited to the Cannes Film festival. In 1970, he was awarded a Golden Tanit at the Carthage Festival. With Le moineau (1973), he directed the first Egypt-Algeria co-production. He won a Silver Bear in Berlin for Iskanderija… lih? (1978), the first installment in what proved to be an autobiographic trilogy, completed with adduta misrija (1982) and Iskanderija, kaman oue kaman (1990).

In 1992, Jacques Lassalle proposed him to stage a piece of his choice for Comédie Française: Chahine chose to adapt Albert Camus’ “Caligula,” which proved hugely successful. The same year he started writing Al-mohager (1994), a story inspired by the Biblical character of Joseph, son of Jacob. This had long been a dream-project, and he finally got to shoot it in 1994. In 1997, 46 years and 5 invitations later, he was again selected Hors Competition in Cannes with Al-massir (1997). —IMDb

Film no.12 Night of Counting Years

Night of Counting Years, Shadi Abdel Salem, Egypt, 1969

Al Momia, which is commonly and rightfully acknowledged as one of the greatest Egyptian films ever made, is based on a true story: in 1881, precious objects from the Tanite dynasty started turning up for sale, and it was dis- covered that the Horabat tribe had been secretly raiding the tombs of the Pharaohs in Thebes. A rich theme, and an astonishing piece of cinema. The picture was extremely difficult to see from the 70s onward. I managed to screen a 16mm print which, like all the prints I’ve seen since, had gone magenta. Yet I still found it an entrancing and oddly moving experience, as did many others. I remember that Michael Powell was a great admirer. Al Momia has an extremely unusual tone – stately, poetic, with a powerful grasp of time and the sadness it carries. The carefully measured pace, the almost ceremonial movement of the camera, the desolate settings, the classical Arabic spoken on the soundtrack, the unsettling score by the great Italian composer Mario Nascimbene – they all work in perfect harmony and contribute to the feeling of fateful inevitability. Past and present, desecration and veneration, the urge to conquer death and the acceptance that we, and all we know, will turn to dust…a seemingly massive theme that the director, Shadi Abdel Salam, somehow manages to address, even emobody with his images. Are we obliged to plunder our heritage and everything our ancestors have held sacred in order to sustain ourselves for the present and the future? What exactly is our debt to the past? The picture has a sense of history like no other, and it’s not at all surprising that Roberto Rossellini agreed to lend his name to the project after reading the script. And in the end, the film is strangely, even hauntingly consoling – the eternal burial, the final understanding of who and what we are… I am very excited that Shadi Abdel Salam’s masterpiece has been restored to its original splendor. —Martin Scorsese, May 2009

Shadi Abdel Salem

Shadi Abdel Salam was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter and Costume and set designer. Born in Alexandria on 15 March 1930, Shadi graduated from Victoria College, Alexandria, 1948, and then moved to England to study theater arts from 1949 to 1950. He then joined faculty of fine arts in Cairo where he graduated as an architect in 1955.

He worked as assistant to the artistic architect, Ramsis W. Wassef, 1957, and designed the decorations and costumes of some of the most famous historical Egyptian films among which are; Wa Islamah, El-Nasser Salah El-Din, Almaz wa Abdu El Hamouly.Worked as a historical consultant and supervisor of the decoration, costumes and accessories sections of the Polish film (Pharaoh), directed by Kavelorovitch.

Directed the long drama film entitled The Night of Counting the Years (Al-Momiaa), 1968–1969, and received many film awards for this work. Also directed the short drama film entitled El-Falah El-Faseeh (The Eloquent Peasant). Worked as the Director of the Ministry of Culture Center for experimental films, 1970. Wrote the scenario of the long drama film entitled Ikhnatoun and finalized the relevant designs, 1974–1985

Taught at the Cinema Higher Institute of Egypt in the Departments of Decorations, Costumes and Film Direction, 1963–1969. Died on 8 October 1986. —Wikpedia

Film no.11 Cairo, As Told Ny Youssef Chahine

Cairo As Told By Youssef Chahine, Youssef Chahine, Egypt, 1991

This concise masterpiece began as a commission by French TV for the news series Envoyé spécial. By filming Cairo with his unique sense of artistic digression, Chahine transformed this portrait of a city into the self-portrait of a filmmaker. —Locarno International Film Festival

Youssef Chahine

Youssef Chahine (born in Alexandria, Egypt, 1926) started studying in a friars’ school, and then turned to English College until the High School Certificate. After one year in the University of Alexandria, he moved to the U.S. and spent two years at the Pasadena Play House, taking courses on film and dramatic arts. After coming back to Egypt, cinematographer Alevise Orfanelli helped him into the film business. His film debut was Baba Amin (1950): one year later, with Ibn el Nil (1951) he was first invited to the Cannes Film festival. In 1970, he was awarded a Golden Tanit at the Carthage Festival. With Le moineau (1973), he directed the first Egypt-Algeria co-production. He won a Silver Bear in Berlin for Iskanderija… lih? (1978), the first installment in what proved to be an autobiographic trilogy, completed with adduta misrija (1982) and Iskanderija, kaman oue kaman (1990).

In 1992, Jacques Lassalle proposed him to stage a piece of his choice for Comédie Française: Chahine chose to adapt Albert Camus’ “Caligula,” which proved hugely successful. The same year he started writing Al-mohager (1994), a story inspired by the Biblical character of Joseph, son of Jacob. This had long been a dream-project, and he finally got to shoot it in 1994. In 1997, 46 years and 5 invitations later, he was again selected Hors Competition in Cannes with Al-massir (1997). —IMDb

Film no.10 Rise and Shine

Rise and Shine, Sherif El Bendary, Egypt, 2006

Rise and Shine shows a woman searching aggressively for her lost apartment keys. During her search, she is visited by some unsavoury memories she has been repressing. Superbly orchestrated in a one continuous take. –goethe.de



Sherif El Bendary
Sherif el Bendary was born in Cairo in 1978. Graduated from the Applied Arts college in 2001, and worked as a textile engineer. He participated in many theatrical productions at the university theatre as well as many collective art exhibitions. He studied film directing at the Higher Institue of Cinema, Egypt in 2002, and worked as assistant director for many commercial feature films in Egypt. Later on he directed several short films including ‘6 Girls…’, his first documentary film, which was awarded Best Documentary, Student Film Festival of Goethe Institute, 2006. His first short feature “Rise And Shine” won the Jury Award at National Film Festival, Egypt, 2006. —Sydney Arab Film Festival.

Film no.9 Ylang Ylang Residence

Ylang Ylang Residence, Hachimiya Ahamada, Comoros, France, 2008

A Comorian village. Djibril spends his free time taking care of an abandoned villa. While living there, his small straw hut is ravaged by a fire. Homeless, he now must find a place to live.



Hachimiya Ahamada
Born in France in 1976 to parents of Comorian origin, Hachimiya Ahamada is nonetheless a filmmaker of the land. Her camera pointed towards her homeland, the Comoros Archipelago, her favorite themes are identity and memory. In 2008, she directed the drama short, The Ylang Ylang Residence, co-produced by Aurora Films in Paris and Washko Ink in Moroni. The film was screened in some sixty international film festivals, from Cannes to the International Black Film Festival of Montreal, passing through the Women's Film Festival in Chennai, India. In 2009 alone The Ylang Ylang Residence won numerous awards such as the Grand Prize for the Short Film at the Quintessence Festival of Ouidah, the Best Screenplay at the Francophone Festival of Vaulx in Velin, the Jury’s Special Mention at the Cinema of Africa, Asia and Latin America Festival in Milan.

Film no.8 Dry Season

Dry Season, Mahamat Saleh Haroun, Chad, 2006

In November and December of 2006 the New Crowned Hope Festival was held in Vienna as part of the celebrations honouring Mozart’s Year. Seven films were made for the occasion by directors who do not come from “Western” culture. One of them, Chad-born Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, contributed with the film Dry Season, which, like Mozart’s opera La clemenza di Tito deals with the theme of the need for forgiveness and reconciliation. After the end of the four-year civil war in Chad, all war criminals were given amnesty, including Nassara, now a modest baker. It is he who 16-year-old Atim is looking for to avenge the death of his father. Atim has Nassara take him on as an apprentice and patiently waits for the right moment. The course of everyday events however begins to grind away at the tense emotions. Haroun’s frank, sometimes even raw, direction shifts the initial drama without haste to a grand finale confronting Atim with a fundamental decision. –Karlovy Vary

African filmmaker Mahamat-Saleh Haroun directed this lyrical tale of young man's desire to come to terms with his tragic past. Ali Barkai plays a young man from the nation of Chad whose father was killed before he was born. Looking for some sort of closure in his life, the young man decides to find the man who murdered his father; when he does, he gets a job working for the killer, at once pondering vengeance but also struggling to come to a place of forgiveness. Daratt received its world premiere at the 2006 Venice Film Festival. -Rovi


Mahamat Saleh Haroun
Born in Chad in 1961, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun left the country during the civil war of the 1980s and relocated to France, by way of Cameroon. There he worked as a journalist before studying at the Conservatoire Libre du Cinéma in Paris. He is now more than a dozen years into his career as a filmmaker, shooting primarily in Chad. This career has so far produced three feature films and a number of shorts that have made Haroun one of the leading lights in African cinema. He excels at spinning narratives that begin with easily recognizable situations – usually the loss of a parent – and expand to encompass allegorical and political reflection on the state of Chadian society. Often calm on the surface, Haroun’s filmmaking belies this calm with simmering strains of anger and melancholy. While occasionally compared to the work of Iranian directors Abbas Kiarostami and Mohsen Makhmalbaf, perhaps because of their deceptively quiet surfaces, Haroun’s films recognizably belong to an African tradition of filmmaking stretching from Ousmane Sembene to Abderrahmane Sissako that considers the place of cinema in a postcolonial Africa and, by extension, in a postcolonial world. —filmstudycenter.org