Having been cancelled in 2021 because of the health crisis, the Franco-Arab Film Festival (FFFA) of Noisy-le-Sec ran from November 12th to 23rd. Since 2011 this annual event has supported “recent films by film-makers from Arab countries and French directors whose backgrounds and concerns are linked to those countries.” A total of 29 feature films, (including 11 first films), 6 documentaries and two animated films for young audiences were shown this year.
“The Arab world, this plural, diverse entity, needs to show us very different images to the prejudiced and stereotypical media representations,” comments FFFA’s current honorary sponsor, film-maker Costa-Gavras.“In our daily lives we are submerged by information which divides us; going to the Franco-Arab Film Festival is a great way to see what unites us,”
The FFFA patron this year is Lina Soualem. Daughter of actor Zinedine Soualem and Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass, she is presenting her film “Leur Algérie”, a portrait of her father and grandparents, first generation Algerian immigrants.
Franco-Arab Film Festival (FFFA) of Noisy-le-Sec
The FFFA in Noisy-le-Sec is “the little brother” of the Franco-Arab Film Festival in Amman, Jordan. For 22 years the latter has been highlighting “the links uniting the Greater Middle East and France, by encouraging exchanges and inter-cultural dialogue.”
Dramas and documentaries compete for the Audience Awards (Best Drama and Best Documentary) and the Jury Awards, also for Best Drama and Best Documentary; the winners will be able to present their short films at the Amman Franco-Arab Film Festival in 2022.
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Sources: arabnews.fr, fffa.noisylesec.fr, leparisien.fr
