ARAB FILM FESTIVAL | MOUNA ZAYLAH AND FADIA ABBOUD

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Arabic is the second most spoken language in NSW but the Arab culture is still very misunderstood in Australia. The ancient Arab culture is rich, full of history, art and beauty to share with the world, but unfortunately it is largely ignored by the mainstream media.

FFG talks to Arab Film Festival directors Mouna Zaylah and Fadia Abboud about how their programme is providing audiences with an authentic representation of their culture, which you won’t find on television.

How do you think Arab culture is represented in mainstream movies?

Very rarely and as a stereotype. Often Arab cultures are misrepresented in mainstream films. The same story repeated over and over. Arab cultures are many and diverse. Mainstream films often incorporate Arab communities in a negative way and limits their creative control over the role. The film industry needs to broaden its horizons and tap in to creatives from diverse cultural backgrounds not just write them in to roles. Australia has a lot of stories to tap into but rarely are they reflected on screen. Our television is presenting for a predominantly Anglo audience, which is why I don’t watch television much anymore.

How important is this festival in providing a representation of Arab culture to audiences that might not be available in mainstream media?

Fadia: There is a lack of Arab representation in Australian stories that go beyond crime and considering Arabic is the second most spoken language in NSW after English you wonder why that is. But we like many other cultures are still under-represented or mis-represented on Australian screens, big and small. So our festival is important to fill this gap, to provide alternative representations, to challenge our views and to celebrate Arab culture. The Arab Film Festival also gives voice to minority Arabic communities and a space for a broad audience to engage with the issues and themes explored through the films.

It’s refreshing to see so many female directors on the programme, is it a conscious decision to keep the entries male/ female balanced?

Fadia: The Arab world has many female directors, much more in comparison to us in Australia. Arab women speak out about the injustice around them – they see other women before them make films and are encouraged by that and by the opportunities that exist from the bigger festivals in the UAE and Gulf that are funding and screening local films. There was no conscious decision to balance the selection. We are lucky because we have a variety of great films being created by both Arab men and women. In the Arab world film industry is booming and supported. To be a filmmaker is not taboo for a woman. It’s a powerful role to have.

What is the selection process for the festival lineup?

Fadia: We do a call-out for films that goes far and wide. And then we also go to the Dubai and/or Abu Dhabi Film Festival to watch films over there. Between these two festivals nearly all the Arab films made that year are screened. We ensure there is a feature film from Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, which are the main producers of Arab films and have the biggest audiences here.

The films must be written, directed or produced by someone from an Arabic speaking country. We watch the film entries and short list ensuring that we have a selection of genres and films that represent the diversity of Arab cultures, experiences and give insight to contemporary Arab communities whether from the Arab world in living in the West, Europe, Asia etc. There are generations of Arab migrants living across the globe. We like to present those stories of diasporic Arab communities when possible.

How did you select the opening and closing movies for the festival?

Fadia: It was very hard! Of course both spots are really important. Opening for us has to reflect the current mood of the Arab world – We had chosen a Palestinian story for opening night as it is always relevant and even more-so now since the current invasion and massacre in Gaza. WHEN I SAW YOU is also just a wonderful film in its own right, it captures a time and place very rarely seen, Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan in 1967 are hardly reflected on screen – its a period piece and its done very well, heartwarming and uplifting for a Palestinian story. People were still full of hope.

And the closing is usually something a bit more uplifting, and this year comes from Jordan and has a very well known Arab actor, Hiam Abbass.

When and how did you get involved in the festival?

Mouna – I grew up watching Egyptian films daily with my grandmother so I have always loved Arab films. I learnt my language through film. I am also a cultural producer and have always worked in the arts and community industry and while working at ICE, this project came up and so I thought I would support this Festival and joined forces with Fadia to develop and produce it annually. It’s been a wild ride, lots of learning on the job but worth it. I feel proud of the success of this event and hope to continue growing the Festival in years to come. Fadia and I make a great team, we compliment each other.

Fadia – I am a filmmaker and had my first film in the first ever Arab Film Festival in 2001 and I volunteered at that festival. Then I was working at Information and Cultural Exchange in another capacity and started helping them organise the next festival (which didn’t happen again til 2004). Mouna and I joined forces to Co-Direct in 2007 to put on the annual event after that.

Now in its 13th year, how has the festival grown since its inception and where would you like to see it in five years?

The Festival started in 2001 and yes, it’s grown in lots of ways, and in some way its also stayed the same. It’s stays strongly connected to the Arab Australian community and reaches out to new audiences every year. We started in Parramatta at the Roxy Cinema in 2001, and now in 2014 were still in Parramatta but at the Riverside. We present the festival annually and tour interstate, so you can find us in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. The Festival is produced by Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) (www.ice.org.au) and with two Festival directors and an advisory / organising committee made up of representatives from the Arab Australian community that have diverse skills and knowledge that support the ongoing stability and programming of the Festival.

In five years time we would like to have a bigger program of Arab films and tour to more national cities, Adelaide and Brisbane especially. We also hope to be engaging younger audiences through an educational program that goes to schools.