Follow us on facebook & twitter!

Description:

While in Beirut to attend a glamorous banquet, legendary French actress Catherine Deneuve (Potiche, Belle de Jour) insists on being taken to the southern regions of Lebanon in order to see first-hand the devastation caused by Israel’s month-long bombing campaign there in the summer of 2006.

Cleverly blurring the lines between documentary and fiction, directors Khalil Joreige and Joana Hadjithomas (A Perfect Day) create a mesmerizing, thought-provoking travelogue in which they appear as filmmakers capturing Deneuve’s road-trip on camera.

After visiting the crumbling ruins of ancient villages and watching as the shattered remnants of cities and towns are slowly pushed into the sea, Deneuve’s perception of Lebanon is transformed somewhat when she appears later that evening before the myriad photographers ardently capturing her image at the elegant evening gala.

DVD Special Features:
Filmographies
Typecast Trailers
Language: Arabic & French | Subtitles: English

Reviews:

“There’s no denying that this is a single-note film, but it’s a note of considerable emotional clout.” —David Jenkins, Time Out

“Magnificent!…must not be missed. I could heap praises on it forever.” —Charles Mudede, The Stranger

“A fascinating little film in which Deneuve’s disorientation comes to stand for that distance we all feel in the West when forced to think about the reality behind the headlines and news reports.” —Jon Fortgang, Film4

“An unusual, personal film…defies description.” —Ted Fry, The Seattle Times

“A potent and intriguing cinema of ideas.” —Peter Bradshaw, Guardian (UK)

In Theaters

Typecast Releasing is pleased to announce that I Want to See, the new feature film from directors Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige (A Perfect Day) will have its U.S. theatrical premiere at Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum on Saturday, July 9th, where it will play daily through Thursday, July 14th. More info can be found here:

* July 9-14, 2011 . Seattle, WA at Northwest Film Forum

At Festivals

Description:

Women across the Arab world are redefining their role as leaders in Islam. In director Brigid Maher’s insightful documentary film, Veiled Voices , three influential women Islamic leaders are profiled—along with their families and the communities in which they serve:  Ghina Hammoud in Lebanon, Dr. Du’ad Saleh in Egypt and Huda al-Habash in Syria.

Filmed over the course of two years, Veiled Voices reveals a world rarely documented, exploring both the public and private lives of these women. As a divorced woman, Ghina Hammoud faces a personal challenge in gaining legitimacy as a leader, since divorce is controversial in communities throughout Lebanon. In Egypt, Dr. Su’ad Saleh must continually fight for public recognition by the Egyptian religious authority at al-Azhar—the famous Cairo mosque and university founded in the 10th century. Huda al-Habash in Damascus enjoys both institutional support and the support of her husband as she teaches women in Syria and lectures all over the Middle East, helping others “move…from ignorance to knowledge.”

The three personal stories featured in Veiled Voices give insight into how Muslim women are increasingly willing to challenge the status quo from within their religion, promoting Islam as a powerful force for positive transformation in the world.

Reviews:

“The film, the first of its kind…is not to be missed by any who wish to enter the world of contemporary Islam with its lively gender dynamics being refashioned under our very eyes.”
–Margot Badran, Feminism In Islam

Film review from the IGN Digigods Podcast.

“A timely, perceptive exploration of an aspect of contemporary Islam that receives relatively scant attention,Veiled Voices is highly recommended.”                                                                                  -M. Puffer-Rothenberg, Video Librarian

“Veiled Voices is one extremely well done and tasteful to present both a structural and individual understanding of the positive roles of women in the Islamic faith”                                                       - Malcom L. Rigsby,  Department of Sociology at Ouachita Baptist University

“Veiled Voices is a good start to a conversation by and about women in Islam to change misconceptions held about the role of women in the religion.”
- Andrea Hance, the Feminist Review

“Veiled Voices is a film filled with loud, bright stories that enlighten an audience in need of authenticity about Islam in general and the lives of Muslim women in particular.”
– Anisa Mehdi, Common Ground News Service

“…the fact that they are from different areas of the Arab world surely points to a kind of movement that is beginning to take place, and is worth watching — as is this film.”
– Mata H, BlogHer.com

“This film gave another much-needed platform to Muslim women who are trying to make their voices heard for the greater good.”
– Umm Hend, Muslimas Oasis

“Though Veiled Voices isn’t an overtly feminist film, it is a celebration of the often overlooked power and self-determination of devout Muslim women.”
- Mandy Van Deven, Bitch Magazine

“The film is refreshing because it presents a view on Islam from a female perspective through women who are both inspiring and open minded.”
– Danah Abdulla, Heeba Magazine

“A timely, perceptive exploration of an aspect of contemporary Islam that receives relatively scant attention, Veiled Voices is highly recommended.”
– M. Puffer-Rothenberg, Video Librarian

Trailer:

In Theaters

March 2011 – Women in Islam, New York, NY

March 2011 – U.S. Consulate, Casablanca, Morocco

February 2011 –  United States Institute of Peace, Washington, D.C.

December 2010 - Fordsburg, South Africa

December 2010 – Faithworks Inaugural Documentary Screening, Johannesburg South Africa

October 2010 –  Duke University, Durham, NC

September 2010 – Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY

April 2010 – Muslim Film Festival, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

April 2010 – New School, New York, NY

April 2010 – 9th Annual Critical Islamic Reflections Conference, Yale University, New Haven, CT

April 2010 – The Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO

March 2010 –  “Scribe Video Center Producers’ Forum” International House, Philadelphia, PA

March 2010 –  Middle East Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY

February 2010 – Human Rights Film Series, University of California, Merced, CA

November 2009 – George Mason University, Middle East Film Club, Arlington, VA

October 2009 –  Conference: Women, Leadership, and Mosques:  Oxford University, UK

At Festivals

November 2010 – “Best of Religion Today Film Festival” to tour in select cities in Poland

November 2010  - Middle Eastern Visions II Film Festival, Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn, MI

November 2010 – The UTSC Arab Film Festival, Toronto, Canada

October 2010 – Religion Today Film Festival, select cities, Italy

July 2010 – Islamic Society of North America’s Film Festival and Annual Conference, Chicago, IL

April 2010 – Twelfth Annual Celluloid Bainbridge Film Festival, Bainbridge, WA

April 2010 – Al Jazeera International Documentary Festival, Doha, Qatar

March 2010 –  Women of Color Arts and Film Festival, Atlanta, GA

March 2010 –  Los Angeles International Women’s Film Festival, CA

March 2010 – Women’s International Film and Arts Festival, Miami, FL

November 2009 – Middle East Association Film Fest, Boston, MA

November 2009 –  New Orleans Middle East Film Festival, New Orleans, LA

October  2009 – International Festival of Muslim Cinema “Golden Minbar”, Kazan, Russia

July 2009 – Islamic Society of North America’s Film Festival and Annual Conference, Washington, DC

On TV

March 8th, 2011 - Special International Women’s Day showing  at 11:00 pm (EST) on FREE SPEECH TV (DISH Network channel 9415/Direct TV channel 348)

August 2010 – Al Jazeera Network (Middle East and North Africa). Ongoing.

March 2010 – Public Television Syndication:  Broadcast throughout the United States: Ongoing.

March 2010 – Bridges TV: Ongoing.

On Demand

Watch this film instantly through YouTube Rentals!

Description:

A young student of the arts, Dunia aspires to be a professional dancer and poet. Her artistic expression is inhibited, however, by her inability to experience and express desire. Dunia’s reasoning that women should not move their bodies to evoke an act of love is challenged by the ardent public intellectual Dr. Beshir–played by Egyptian superstar singer Mohammed Mounir.

With his help, Dunia begins an all-consuming search for ecstasy in poetry, dance and music–taking us into the world of women in a society that both fetishizes and oppresses female sexuality. Ultimately, Dunia learns that she must confront the traditions that have destroyed her capacity for pleasure before she will be able to experience it.

Reviews:

“Kiss Me Not on the Eyes” offers a colorful package obsessed with sensual surfaces, to the exclusion of a fully developed plot, character or social-commentary elements.”                                             – Dennis Harvey, Variety

Trailer:

In Theaters

This film is no longer in theaters.

At Festivals

This film is no longer at film festivals.

Description:

This second feature in Nacer Khemir’s Desert Trilogy is a visually ravishing folktale reminiscent of “The Thousand and One Nights.” The story revolves around Hassan, who is studying Arabic calligraphy from a grand master. Coming across a fragment of manuscript, Hassan goes in search of the missing pieces, believing that once he finds them, he will learn the secrets of love. With the help of Zin, a lovers’ go-between, he meets the beautiful Aziz, Princess of Samarkand. After encountering wars, a battle between false prophets and an ancient curse, he learns that an entire lifetime would not suffice for him to learn the many dimensions of love.

Tunisian director Nacer Khemir, also a poet, painter and professional storyteller, notes: “The film takes place in Moslem Andalusia of the 11th century. But it’s not a question of reconstituting a given time and place, but rather of summoning up the reflection of a forgotten garden, and out of a yearning for peace, so difficult to protect from barbarians and from destructive fanaticisms. Andalusia has been the meeting place of many cultures, a living dialog of the peoples and religions whose traces can still be deciphered in texts, music and gardens all the way from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. This is not an Andalusian love story, but Andalusia as the very essence of love, through its perfumes, poetry and gardens.”

Reviews:

“A delightful fairytale; straight out of 1001 Nights”
– FilmFest DC

Trailer:

In Theaters

This film is no longer in theaters.

At Festivals

This film is no longer at festivals.

Description:

Shooting on location in East Jerusalem, Ramallah and at checkpoints in-between, Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad (Paradise Now ) sees the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the eyes of a young woman who, with only ten hours to marry, must negotiate her way around roadblocks, soldiers, stone-throwers, overworked officials … and into the heart of an elusive lover.

This timely feature that explores love among the ruins of an occupied territory was presented with the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival’s 2003 Nestor Almendros Prize for courage in filmmaking.

According to Abu-Assad, “When the abnormalities of barriers and occupation become an everyday reality, normal things like love and marriage turn into fiction. This is life in Palestine right now. I wanted to challenge it through cinema.”

Winner of the Best Actress award at the 2002 Marrakesh International Film Festival (for Clara Khoury’s affecting performance), Rana’s Weddingpremiered during the 2002 International Critic’s Week at Cannes and has been a festival favorite in Palm Springs, Montreal, Rio de Janeiro, Cairo and London.

DVD Special Features

Reviews:

“Fascinating. It gives a more complete visual picture. . . than we ever see on the news.”
- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“Among the finest films made in the Middle East.”
- Phil Hall, Film Threat

Trailer:

In Theaters

This film is no longer available in theaters.

At Festivals

This film is no longer at film festivals.

Description:

Inspired by real events, documentary filmmaker Saverio Costanzo’s feature debut is a minimalist psychological drama about a Palestinian family of seven suddenly confronted with a volatile situation in their home that in many ways reflects the larger ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel.

Winner of a Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival, Private is convincingly shot in a documentary style with a hand-held camera and a quick pace. Director Costanzo has created a unique occasion for both Israeli and Palestinian actors to work together, and being an outsider himself, he has worked to maintain a neutral standpoint while dramatizing the conflict.

Official Selection of the 2005 Vancouver International Film Festival and San Francisco International Film Festival

Reviews:

“. . . acted with fierce conviction”
- Village Voice

“. . . captures [war’s] harrowing complexities with unerring accuracy”
- Toronto Int’l Film Festival

“. . . an effectively didactic thriller”
- Philadelphia Inquirer

Trailer:

In Theaters

This film is no longer in theaters.

At Festivals

This film is no longer at film festivals.

Description:

In this achingly romantic tale, handsome young Tariq is about to marry Bilquis, eldest daughter of a prominent and powerful judge. But as he wanders the ancient city of Sana’a late one night, he spots a beautiful young woman dancing in the street and falls madly in love with her.

Before long, the young groom must choose between following his heart and protecting his family’s honor. Filmed entirely on location in the ancient city of Sana’a, this exquisite film is the first feature film ever to come out of Yemen.

World Premiere

- Cannes International Film Festival, 2006

U.S. Premiere

- Seattle Arab & Iranian Film Festival, 2006

Official Selection

- Vancouver International Film Festival, 2006

Official Selection

- Arabian Sights, Film Fest D.C., 2006

Official Selection

- Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2007

Reviews:

“It weaves a fairytale of unrequited love, bundled together with an anecdote or two suffused with local color. . . it indulges in a bit of magic realism.”

- Toronto Daily Star

Trailer:

There no trailer for this film.

In Theaters

This film is no longer in theaters

At Festivals

This film is no longer at film festivals.

On Demand

Watch this film instantly through YouTube Rentals!

Description:

Directed by Youssef Chahine’s longtime assistant, The Closed Doors touches on several taboos in contemporary Egyptian society, examining their social and political implications. Set during the Gulf War, it tells the story of Mohamad, a highly impressionable young man who embraces fundamentalist ideas as a way of dealing with the confusion of adolescence and sexual awakening. This powerful first feature by one of Egypt’s most promising young directors tackles complex themes like oppression, jealousy, virtue, the love ideal and violence in an uncompromising way.

Reviews:

“Reveals a finely balanced portrait of various social classes caught in a swirl of religious, cultural and personal fixations, done with remarkable sympathy, sensitivity and control.” - Deborah Young, Variety

“Artfully examining a young man’s slow descent into Muslim fundamentalism as a way to combat his own awakening sexual urges, Hetata’s film meticulously unfolds as viewers watch in subdued dismay.” - Zach Freeman, Hub Pages

Trailer:

In Theaters

This film is no longer in theaters.

At Festivals

This film is no longer at film festivals.

Description:

In this beautiful classic film from legendary director Youssef Chahine, Cairo’s main railroad station is used to represent all of Egyptian society. We see a community comprised of luggage carriers and soft-drink vendors living in abandoned train cars.

A crippled newspaper dealer, Kinawi (played by Chahine himself), falls in love with the beautiful but indifferent Hanuma (Hind Rostom), a lemonade seller who only has eyes for the handsome Abu Sri’. Swept away by his obsessive desire, Kinawi kidnaps the object of his passion, with terrible consequences.

Chahine received international recognition when this masterpiece of sexuality, repression, madness and violence among society’s marginalized played at the Berlin Film Festival, where it was nominated for a Golden Bear in 1958.

Reviews:

“A blend of sensuality and film noir, set against a backdrop of lower-depths neorealism, Cairo Station is essentially an underclass psycho-thriller. The Chahine of Cairo Station is a world-class engineer of expressionistic gothic shadow effects whose restless camera seems to peer into the souls of his fevered characters.”

–David Chute, L.A. Weekly

“The adroit interweaving of various miniplots around the station is matched by a heady mix of moods and genres: At various junctures this movie becomes a musical, a slasher film, a neorealist drama, a comedy, and a horror film – come to think of it, it’s pretty noir as well.”

–Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

“Today, this DVD release offers serious cinephiles a rare chance to understand Chahine’s importance, which has been rooted in reputation and not retrospective for too many years (the majority of his films are not available in U.S. on DVD). This long-overdue release is very highly recommended.”

- Phil Hall, Film Threat

Trailer:

In Theaters

This film is not currently screening in theaters.

At Festivals

This film is not currently screening at festivals.

Description:

A visual poem of incomparable beauty, this masterpiece from director Nacer Khemir (Wanderers of the Desert ) begins with the story of a blind dervish named Bab’Aziz and his spirited granddaughter, Ishtar. Together they wander the desert in search of a great reunion of dervishes that takes place just once every thirty years. With faith as their only guide, the two journey for days through the expansive, barren landscape. To keep Ishtar entertained, Bab’Aziz relays the ancient tale of a prince who relinquished his realm in order to remain next to a small pool in the desert, staring into its depths while contemplating his soul. As the tale of the prince unfolds, the two encounter other travelers with stories of their own – including Osman, who longs for the beautiful woman he met at the bottom of a well, and Zaid, who searches for the ravishing young woman who fled from him after being seduced by his songs. Filled with breathtaking images and wonderful music, Nacir Khemir has created a fairytale-like story of longing and belonging, filmed in the enchanting and ever-shifting sandscapes of Tunisia and Iran.

Director Nacer Khemir’s past cinematic achievements include his award-winning features Les Baliseurs du Désert (Wanderers of the Desert ), awarded Grand Prix of the Festival des Trois Continents in 1984, and Le Collier Perdu de la Colombe (The Dove’s Lost Necklace ), which won the Special Jury Prize at Locarno in 1991. The script was written by Nacer Khemir with the participation of screenwriter Tonino Guerra (Amarcord ,Night of the Shooting Stars , Blowup and L’Avventura ).

Reviews:

“Bab’Aziz enchants with its beautiful and profound depictions of the love that animates our relationship with the Beloved, with the world, and with our neighbors.” - Fredric & Mary Brusset, Spiritualityandpractice.com

“The third feature by the Tunisian filmmaker and poet Nacer Khemir is a structurally audacious fairy tale that imparts moral lessons and shows how narratives reflect and shape life,” - Matt Zoller Seitz, The New York Times

“The breathtaking desert landscapes that dominate Nacer Khemir’s beautiful, elliptical Middle East drama deserve the big screen. . . you’ll remember the dreamlike state the film induces long after the credits roll.”
- New York Magazine

“The arrival of th[is] film is … something worth singing and dancing about.” - Phil Hall, Film Threat

“[Nacer] Khemir, a poet and a painter as well as a filmmaker… uses the endless, timeless desert landscape to create an existence in which past and present coexist.” - Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“It’s not a film for the impatient — no guns, no chases, no explosions. What it does have is beautiful cinematography and a thoroughly positive vibe.” - Mike Scott, Time Picayune

Trailer:

In Theaters

This film is no longer in theaters.

At Festivals

This film is no longer at film festivals.