From Berlin to Cannes to Venice to Toronto to BFI and El Gouna, MAD Solutions is ready to touch ground with four feature films at the Arab World’s biggest and most prominent meeting of filmmakers and cinephiles — the Cairo International Film Festival, running from November 12th to 21st under the patronage of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.
 
MAD’s lineup this year boasts Kaouther Ben Hania’s internationally acclaimed docu-drama, THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB, Tunisia’s official submission to the 98th Academy Awards Oscars, which will be closing the festival as an Out-of-Competition Official Selection.
 
Joining it will be Mehdi Hmili's workplace revenge drama thriller EXILE, showcased in the international competition alongside the Cannes-winning comedy-drama ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA by twin brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser, and Sarah Francis’ tense Lebanese family drama DEAD DOG, featured in the Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition — all three titles are holding their Arab World premieres at the festival.
 
Leading the lineup is Kaouther Ben Hania’s internationally acclaimed docu-drama THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB — winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. The film has been moving nonstop through the festival circuit, getting selected at the likes of BFI, Toronto, and San Sebastián — where it won the Audience Award — and is set to open the inaugural edition of the Doha Film Festival.
 
A Tunisian-French co-production starring Amer Hlehel, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees, and Saja Kilani, the film was shot in Tunisia. It is a harrowing docu-drama based on the true story of six-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. The film incorporates real-life voice recordings between Hind and Red Crescent volunteers during her final moments, offering an unflinching portrayal of innocence lost in conflict.
 
Lauded as “a powerful ode to Palestinian resilience” by William Mulally of The National, ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA explores the gripping story of Yahya, a young student who forges a friendship with Osama, a charismatic restaurant owner with a big heart. Together, they begin peddling drugs while delivering falafel sandwiches, but are soon forced to grapple with a corrupt cop and his oversized ego.
 
Directed by the Nasser Brothers from a screenplay co-written with Amer Nasser and Marie Legrand, the film is an international co-production between France, Palestine, Germany, Portugal, Qatar, and Jordan. The cast includes Nader Abd Alhay (known for his role as Sami in FARAH, now streaming on Netflix), Ramzi Maqdisi (GHOST HUNTING, awarded Best Documentary at the Berlinale), Majd Eid (HOLY SPIDER), DOP Christophe Graillot (RIDE ABOVE), and editor Sophie Reine, who won the Best Editing Award at the César Awards for THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
 
Already world-premiered at Locarno and screened at multiple festivals, including CINEMED, EXILE is a co-production between Tunisia, Luxembourg, France, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. It follows Mohamed, a steel factory worker who survives a devastating explosion that leaves a slowly rusting piece of metal embedded in his head. Reassigned as a security guard and marginalized by the system, Mohamed embarks on a harrowing journey of revenge that unravels a deeper conspiracy — all while his physical condition deteriorates.
 
EXILE features a stellar cast including Ghanem Zrelli, Maram Ben Aziza, Slim Baccar, Younes Farhi, Mohamed Kolsi, and Mourad Gharsalli. The film’s cinematography is by Farouk Laridha, with editing by Rawchen Mizouri and an original score by Amélie Legrand.
 
Rounding out the MAD lineup is Sarah Francis’ DEAD DOG, which world premiered as part of the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s Harbor Program.
 
The film is set on a rainy evening, where Aida drives up to the Lebanese mountains and unlocks an empty family house. Only Walid, her husband — who has been living abroad for years — is not expecting to find her there. Temporarily reunited in the same space, they face the status of their lives together and apart.
 
A co-production between Lebanon, France, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, DEAD DOG stars Chirine Karameh and Nida Wakim, the latter of whom starred in last year’s award-winning Lebanese thriller ZAMAN DARK by George Khattar.
 
The film was shot by VALLEY OF EXILE cinematographer Mark Khalife, edited by AS ABOVE, SO BELOW editor Zeina Aboul-Hosn, and scored by Rabih Gebeile.
 
Stay tuned for when the festival announces the screening dates and venues soon.