By Kim Young Deok and Sohn JiAe

Video = Korea-Arab Society

The Arab Film Festival, a Korean film festival that showcase films from Arabic-speaking and Middle Eastern countries, will run from June 1 to 6 at the Arthouse Momo in Seoul and at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan.

This year’s festival, which marks its seventh year this year, will screen 12 movies from 12 countries, including Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.

Among the films to be exhibited, there’s Nabil Ayouch’s “Razzia” (2017) from Morocco, Abdulla Al Kaabi’s “Only Men Go to the Grave” (2016) from the UAE and “The Guest” (2017), a Turkish film that depicts the lives of refugees seen through the eyes of a little girl.

This year’s festival has a special section, too, titled “Focus 2018: Rise Up, Speak Out,” which focuses on the voices of Arabic women, bringing to light social aspects of Arab countries that are rife with abhorrence, discrimination and sexual harassment against women.

Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, known for films that denounce social pressure on women, will attend the festival, too, showcasing two films of hers. One is “Beauty and the Dogs” (2017), which narrates a story about a policeman who becomes a second assailant of a victim of sexual violence.

The other film, “Challat of Tunis” (2014), is based on a true story about a man who cut the bottoms and thighs of women with a razor.

A question and answer session will also take place at 2 p.m. on June 2, allowing audiences to talk about Arabic women featured in the films, together with director Ben Hania.

Tickets this year cost KRW 5'000. In previous years, tickets were free, but starting this year the Korea-Arab Society, the festival host, decided to put in place a nominal fee to cover costs and promotional expenses.

Please visit the official site for more information. www.arabfestival.or.kr


kyd1991@korea.kr