Screening Theme: “From the Year 2023: Cinema Post-Pandemic”

Perhaps the year 2023 wasn’t the best in terms of the number of films produced; rather, it witnessed a record number of films being delayed (or even canceled) due to the COVID-19 pandemic that began and persisted until 2022. Despite that, the year 2023 faced its own production obstacles, such as scriptwriters’ and actors’ strikes, which had their repercussions.

However, undoubtedly, 2023 marked a revival for cinema worldwide compared to the previous two years. It wasn’t just about the quantity of films, but more importantly, it saw the return of big-budget, high-profit films to encourage audiences to return to theaters and watch movies on the big screen. Here, we mean the success of “Barbiehammer” or Christopher Nolan’s “Openheimer” and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” which together grossed $2.3 billion, restoring confidence and hope in film production and theaters.

Additionally, 2023 saw the return of some of the world’s most prominent directors, such as Wes Anderson with “Asteroid City,” Spain’s Victor Erice with “Cerrar Los Ojos,” Steven Spielberg with “The FABELMANS,” Martin Scorsese with “Killer of the Flower Moon,” Jonathan Glazer with “The Zone of Interest,” Yorgos Lanthimos with “The Poor Things,” and others.

In this special program for April, we invite you to watch highlights of cinema productions from the year 2023.

Date: Saturday, April 20, 2024

Film: Fallen Leaves

Synopsis: In present-day Helsinki, two lonely souls seeking love coincidentally meet in a karaoke bar. However, their path to happiness faces obstacles—from losing phone numbers to confusing addresses and a peculiar stray dog. Selected for competition for the Golden Palm at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in the main competition section, where it won the Jury Prize, the film received critical acclaim, crowned by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award for 2023 and was considered one of the top five international films of 2023 by the National Review Board.

Genre: Drama – Comedy – Romance

Country of Production: Finland

Language: Finnish (The film will be accompanied by Arabic subtitles)

Production Year: 2023

Film Duration: 81 minutes.

Film Selection and Presentation: Michael Kamal

Discussion Moderator: Michael Kamal Azat, A doctor interested in arts and cinema, who has participated in some independent short films.

Attendance is free and open to the public without prior registration or booking.

Translated by Mariam Metwali