It’s hard to keep a secret. Especially when you live with your mother. Malik has been enjoying life in France, making a living as an architect and unabashedly hooking up with guys. But when he returns to Tunisia to live with his mother after his father’s death, he keeps getting bogged down in lies about his sexuality. Good thing hot handyman Bilal is there to pull him out of the closet – and straight into bed, where Malik’s mother Sara finds them sleeping.

While Sara struggles to face the truth she’s denied, a flashback reveals that Malik’s father knew his son’s secret all along. The titular string refers to the apron strings that Malik must cut in order to find the balance between his duties as a son and his sexual desires. His relationship with his mother and his lover both evolve as he makes peace with the once disparate parts of his life.

Class struggle and the culture clash between conservative Tunisians and a more liberal colonialist French way of life are handled with nuance, sensitivity and affirmation. Legendary screen siren Claudia Cardinale (Frederico Fellini’s 8½, The Pink Panther) gives a rousing performance as Malik’s mother. Subtle performances from the rest of this solid cast resonate well against the moody heat of a North African summer. – TRISTA KENDALL

A Film Series highlighting Narratives and Images from the Arab World
Every Last Thursday of the Month

Cut and Paste
by Hala Khalil | Egypt | 105 min

When: Thurs. May 27th @ 6:30PM
What: Film screenings followed by discussion
Where: The ACCC (2 Plaza Street, San Francisco, 94116)
Cost: Suggested Donation of $5

Synopsis: Gameela, a young and independent woman, dreams of immigrating to New Zealand in search of the perfect life, when she meets Youssef. The two young people with wanderlust, at odds with old friends and entrenched in less-than-ideal second hand sales and repair jobs, decide to emigrate from Egypt to New Zealand. This romantic comedy by Egyptian writer and director Hala Khalil exploits the hilarity of a marriage of convenience that unexpectedly turns into something more. (R. Tomco).

One World, Diverse Culture
The Arab Film Festival and Arab Culture & Community Center present One World, Diverse Culture. A Film Series highlighting Narratives and Images from the Arab World

What: Eye of the Sun Film screening followed by discussion
When: Thursday, April 29th- Every last Thursday of the month
Where: The ACCC (2 Plaza Street, San Francisco, 94116)
Cost: Suggested Donation of $5

Upcoming Film:

From once being the capital of Egypt during the Pharaonic era and a sacred location marked by the visit of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, Ein Shams has become one of Cairo’s poorest and most neglected neighbourhoods. Through the eyes of Shams, an 11-year-old girl inhabitant of this neighbourhood, the film captures the sadness and magic that envelops everyday life in Egypt. In a series of heart-rending events, the diverse characters of the film showcase the intricacies of Egypt’s political system and social structure.

Port of Memory
Arab Film Festival is proud to copresent Port of Memory, directed by Kamal Aljafari, and Son of Babylon, directed by Mohamed Al-Daradji, at the 53rd San Francisco International Film Festival.

Port of Memory: A Palestinian family awaits expulsion from their house by Israeli authorities in a crumbling district now being gentrified in the ancient port city of Jaffa. Personal and cinematic memories, and a very uncertain future, weigh heavily over the residents’ everyday rituals.
 
The film screens on Monday, April 26 at 7:15 pm, Tuesday, April 27 at 9:30 pm and Wednesday, May 5 at 2:30 pm at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas.
 
For more information on Port of Memory, visit http://fest10.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=71

Son of Babylon

Son of Babylon: A willful young Kurdish boy and his just-as-obstinate grandmother journey across a chaotic Iraq in search of their missing loved one, a former political prisoner, in this neorealist, utterly heartfelt testament to that country’s continuing search for justice, closure and peace.

The film screens on Friday, April 23 at 7:00 pm and Tuesday, April 27 at 12:45 pm at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas; and Saturday, May 1 at 6:30 pm at the Pacific Film Archive.
 
For more information on Son of Babylon, visit http://fest10.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=85
 
For tickets and more information on SFIFF53, visit sffs.org

MORE ON SFIFF53:
The 53rd San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF53) returns April 22-May 6 with more than 100 unique programs of the finest independent, documentary and international cinema, playing host to more than 80,000 film-lovers, filmmakers, and industry professionals. The International combines a range of marquee premieres, international competitions, hard-hitting documentaries, digital media work and star-studded gala events. More info at sffs.org

Film Screening by Students for Justice in Palestine, copresented by Arab Film Festival

Date: April 9th 2010, 6pm
Place: 110 Boalt Hall, UC Berkeley

Synopsis of the film: A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unlike any other film ever produced on the conflict — ‘Occupation 101′ presents a comprehensive analysis of the facts and hidden truths surrounding the never ending controversy and dispels many of its long-perceived myths and misconceptions.

The film discusses the unfolding of the Palestinian Israeli conflict in chronological order, beginning with the first wave of Jewish immigration from Europe in the 1880′s throughIsrael’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 including numerous first-hand on-the-ground experiences and testimonies. Occupation 101 explains life under Israeli military rule, the role of the United States in the conflict, and the major obstacles that stand in the way of a lasting and viable peace.
Featuring a diverse list of the most credible Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian and international Middle East scholars, historians, peace activists, journalists, and humanitarian workers (including Allison Weir, Ilan Pappe, Rachid Khalidi, Jeff Halper, Amira Haas and Noam Chomsky), Occupation 101 is a must-see documentary for anyone seeking basic and factual information on the Palestinian- Israeli conflict.

One World, Diverse Culture
The ACCC and AFF Present, One World, Diverse Culture.
A Film Series highlighting Narratives and Images from the Arab World

When: Every last Thursday of the month
What: Film screenings followed by discussion
Where: The ACCC (2 Plaza Street, San Francisco, 94116)
Cost: Suggested Donation of $5

Upcoming Films:
*Thursday, March 25th- Captain Abu Raed at 6:30pm
*Thursday, April 29th- Eye of the Sun

This crowd pleasing Jordanian feature film follows the life of a kind airport janitor who, through a case of mistaken identity, suddenly finds himself with the capacity to change the lives around him. Widower, Abu Raed a man of little means but rich of imagination, spends his days cleaning the Amman airport, and his nights in isolation, reading from his cramped personal library. When Tarek, a neighborhood kid, spots Abu Raed wearing a secondhand pilot’s hat, he is convinced that Abu Raed is an international traveler and begs to hear about his adventures. Initially reluctant, the elderly man recognizes that Tarek and all his friends are desperately curious about the world and Abu Raed begins to weave elaborate stories for the wide-eyed children. As his regular storytelling sessions bring Abu Raed and the children closer, his adventures serve not only as entertainment but as the key to transforming the lives of children, local adults, as well as his personal sense of meaning.

Monthly Arab Movie Night
The Arab American Cultural Center of Silicon Valley and Arab Film Festival invite you to a night of award-winning drama and good company.

Friday March 26, 2010 at 7:00PM

Film: The Yellow House, La Maison Jaune (Algeria: Arabic and French with English Subtitles)

Synopses: This subtle and picturesque tale is as much an ode to the Algerian countryside as it is a simple film about a man’s journey to keep his family in tact. When Mouloud learns his son Belkacem has been killed in a car accident while serving in the army, he leaves his daughter Alya and wife Fatima and embarks on a meditative journey across Eastern Algeria to bring back the body. Traveling through the majestic Aures Mountains, the obstacles he faces on his journey reveals the remarkable kindness and sensitivity of his countrymen in neighboring villages and town. Upon returning home and completing the necessary burial rituals, Mouloud finds that his wife has fallen into a deep depression. Determined to bring her out of it, Mouloud, with a heartwarming naiveté, struggles to remove her grief with simple gestures of his love. A poignant mix of beauty, loss and devotion, Amor Hakkar’s beautifully shot film presents a sun-kissed Algeria filled with daily expressions of a dignified humanity.

* Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5qJPw2Gxno

* Suggested donation: $5

* Please feel free to bring snacks to share

*Please arrive at 7:00PM. Movie will start playing at 7:30PM sharp. Running time is about one hour.

* AACCsv is located in building 2 in Houge Park in San Jose. Address is: 3952 Twilight Drive, San Jose, CA 95124

* Invite your friends on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=336627799563&ref=ts

Corner Store at the Victoria Theater
Co-Presented by Arab Film Festival

Run time: 93 min. | USA
Time: 3:00pm and 7:00pm
Date: March 27th
Location: Victoria Theater – Buy Tickets
Street: 2961 16th Street, San Francisco