Egyptian film legend Soad Hosni died in mysterious circumstances in 2001 in London. Hosni rose to fame after appearing first on film at the age of seventeen to became one of the stars of the Egyptian screen. Her death drew attention across the Arab world and her funeral was attended by thousands of mourners. This film montages archive footage into a compelling portrait of her life. Director Rania Stephan composed the film from vhs footage from some of the over 80 films Hosni appeared in, seeking out the films from Cairo’s street stalls. The film depicts Hosni through her on screen appearances, it is also an exploration of the representation of women on screen and a celebration of Egyptian film history.

The director has worked with film for the last two decades. Stephan’s body of work may at first appear perplexingly heterogeneous—ranging from video art to raw documentary—yet its underlying coherence stems from her country of origin, Lebanon, which stands at a crossroads of cultures and influences, East and West, and remains a place of both exile and return. Stephan focuses on what she calls “the archaeology of images, identity, and memory.”

Note: Rania Stephan was scheduled to speak at this screening but is now unable to attend.

Read more about the film in Kaelen Wilson Goldie’s review in Bidoun

Tickets £6.50