Arab Film Festival presents complexity of genres and people

When some people hear the phrase "Arab film festival," they might fear hours of big-screen political discourse.

But organizers of the 9th annual Twin Cities Arab Film Festival hope to dispel such misconceptions by offering a broad view of Arab films — and of Arabs themselves.

Over the last decade, there has been a surge in the number of political films produced by Arab filmmakers. But that has been matched by the increase in Arab comedies, family dramas and experimental films, festival organizer Michelle Baroody said.

"Which is great," Baroody said, "because we think of the Arab world being very serious, where everything is highly politicized and there is nothing else happening. Ha ha. And that's not true."

The films at this year's festival, which began Thursday and runs through Sunday, support that notion. They include features everything from Moroccan dramedies to Palestinian absurdist cinema.

"The mission of this film festival is to allow for an array of Arabic expression," Baroody said.

Selections include a feature about a Christian boy who pretends to be Muslim, the latest film by prolific Egyptian director Mohamed Khan, and two award-winning pieces from the Dubai Children's International Film Festival.

"The festival is sort of a dish," festival curator Mohannad Ghawanmeh said. "A complicated dish with all sorts of ingredients and it's about bringing together a variety of ingredients that then enhances the whole, the final flavor."

Born to Palestinian parents in Saudi Arabia, Ghawanmeh moved to Minnesota to attend college and just recently started a PhD film program at UCLA.

"I really enjoy highlighting and celebrating standout work," he said, "particularly because my people seem to so deserve more representation. Not just representation, let's call it commentary. Let's call it coverage."

Ghawanmeh considers it his duty to showcase images of Arabs that go beyond those portrayed on the news.

Ten years ago, the vast majority of Arab films were produced in Egypt. Today they're coming out of places like Yemen and Bahrain. In part, Ghawanmeh said, that stems from the infusion of money into international film initiatives. More people want to learn about Arabs and more Arabs want to tell their stories.

"Film can, if not change the world, can really enrich a person's experience of it," he said.

Baroody said although the festival isn't focused around politics, it is not disconnected from politics. Cinema, she said, can help audiences see past all of that and offer a look into the wide range of Arab lifestyles and beliefs.

"In the current political situation that America finds itself in, we're really involved in the Arab world," she said. "The relationship between America and the Arab world at large is such a fraught relationship and it's one that is based on a lot of misrepresentations and incompatibilities between this idea of America and this idea of the Arab world."

If you go:

9th annual Twin Cities Arab Film Festival
Date: Nov. 6 to 9
Location: St. Anthony Main Theatre, 115 SE Main Street, Minneapolis
Tickets: mizna.org