A biography in montage
1 Aug 2013 9:01 PM GMT
Arab filmmaker Rania Stephan's first feature film that sheds light on the life of Egyptian star Soad hosni will be screened in the Capital this month. The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni is Rania Stephan's attempt to tell the story of Soad Hosni, one of Egypt’s most famous film stars who starred in eighty-two feature films between 1959 and 1991. Stephan' first feature film will be showcased in the capital from 3 to 18 August in the Capital.
Using the technique of filmic montage, Rania Stephan creates a moving portrait of the iconic actress, in which the rumours surrounding her life and death are translated through her image as a projection of the Arab imaginary and its evolution over thirty years. Soad Hosni had fallen from a building on London’s Edgeware Road in 2001.
The film was awarded a Sharjah Biennial Prize in 2011. According to Stefan, ‘The entire film is made from images and sound taken from Hosni’s films. It is built like a tragedy in three acts that ends in death. The film operates like a kind of pre-vision on the tragic destiny of this actress’.Stephan’s film is also a celebration of popular Egyptian cinema, historically sidelined by both Arab critics and the West. ‘I wanted to give popular culture its credence, its value’, says Stephan.
Born in Beirut – Lebanon, Rania Stephan graduated with a degree in Cinema Studies from Latrobe University in Melbourne, Australia and a graduate degree in Cinema Studies from Paris VIII University, France. Her career in film production has been long and diverse. She has worked as a sound engineer, camera person, editor and first assistant with renowned filmmakers including Simone Bitton (Rachel, Wall, Citizen Bishara) and Elia Suleiman (Divine Intervention). Her work ranges from creative videos to raw documentaries. The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni is her first feature film. For film buffs, this is a perfect fortnight long opportunity to witness Stephan's work right here in the Capital. Mark your calendars.
Using the technique of filmic montage, Rania Stephan creates a moving portrait of the iconic actress, in which the rumours surrounding her life and death are translated through her image as a projection of the Arab imaginary and its evolution over thirty years. Soad Hosni had fallen from a building on London’s Edgeware Road in 2001.
The film was awarded a Sharjah Biennial Prize in 2011. According to Stefan, ‘The entire film is made from images and sound taken from Hosni’s films. It is built like a tragedy in three acts that ends in death. The film operates like a kind of pre-vision on the tragic destiny of this actress’.Stephan’s film is also a celebration of popular Egyptian cinema, historically sidelined by both Arab critics and the West. ‘I wanted to give popular culture its credence, its value’, says Stephan.
Born in Beirut – Lebanon, Rania Stephan graduated with a degree in Cinema Studies from Latrobe University in Melbourne, Australia and a graduate degree in Cinema Studies from Paris VIII University, France. Her career in film production has been long and diverse. She has worked as a sound engineer, camera person, editor and first assistant with renowned filmmakers including Simone Bitton (Rachel, Wall, Citizen Bishara) and Elia Suleiman (Divine Intervention). Her work ranges from creative videos to raw documentaries. The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni is her first feature film. For film buffs, this is a perfect fortnight long opportunity to witness Stephan's work right here in the Capital. Mark your calendars.
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