Hot on the heels of their well-received screenings at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, MAD Solutions’ AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY by Morad Mostafa and ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA by the Nasser Brothers have been selected to compete in the Regional Competition of the Golden Apricot Film Festival, running from July 13th to the 20th.
AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY, directed by Egyptian filmmaker Morad Mostafa, is a tense and emotional thriller set in central Cairo. The story follows Aisha, a 26-year-old Sudanese caregiver living in a neighbourhood in the heart of Cairo where she witnesses the tension between her fellow African migrants and other groups. Unwittingly, she becomes involved with an Egyptian gang that blackmails her into stealing her patients’ keys so that they can rob them.
The film stars Buliana Simon in the lead role, alongside Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza in his feature debut, with Emad Ghoniem and Mamdouh Saleh, all lensed by the award-winning cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef.
A co-production between Egypt, France, Germany, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Sudan, the film received major backing from institutions such as the Doha Film Institute, El Gouna Film Festival, and Cannes’ Cinéfondation. It also won several key awards, including at the Red Sea Lodge, Venice’s Final Cut, and Marrakech International Film Festival.
Also competing is ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA, a dark comedy from the Nasser Brothers, Tarzan and Arab. Set in 2007 Gaza, where Yahya, a young student, forges a friendship with Osama, a charismatic restaurant owner with a big heart. Together, they begin peddling drugs while delivering falafel sandwiches, but they are soon forced to grapple with a corrupt cop and his oversized ego.
This marks the Nasser Brothers’ third film to screen at Cannes. Their debut feature, DÉGRADÉ, premiered at the 68th Critics’ Week, followed by their short CONDOM LEAD, which was also selected by the festival. ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, where it earned the Best Director Award.
An international co-production, the film brings together talent and support from Palestine, France, Germany, Portugal, Jordan, and Qatar. The cast includes Nader Abd Alhay, Ramzi Maqdisi, and Majd Eid.