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110 min | Egypt | 35 mm
tiger competition
credits
PROD: Misr International Films, Marianne Khoury
SALES: Misr International Films
SCENARIO: Radwan El Kashef
CAMERA: Tarek El Telmessani
EDITOR: Rachida Abdel Salam
ARTDIR: Onsi Abou Seif
SOUND: Raafat Samir
MUSIC: Yasser Abdel-Rahman
CAST: Sherihan, Mohamed Nagati, Fayza Amasaib, Abla Kamel, Hamdy Ahmed
screenings
30 saturday 10:00 Filmcentrum Poelestraat 2
01 monday 20:00 Path� 5
02 tuesday 10:00 Path� 5
04 thursday 12:00 Venster 4
06 saturday 12:15 Maastricht Path� 4
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La sueur des palmiers (literally 'the sweat of the palms') is a colourful metaphor for the changing norms and values in the Egyptian countryside, motivated by the great exodus of poor workers to the rich oil states in the Persian Gulf. From the arid desert landscape, a bizarre caravan treks through a small oasis in Upper Egypt, where palm trees offer shade from the scorching sun. The leader of the caravan talks to the villagers about distant lands filled with treasures. All the men join the caravan, apart from young Achmed, who has his own dream: to climb the highest palm tree in his oasisvillage. In it is a palm wine, a real elixir of life that could cure Achmed's grandfather, now paralysed and struck dumb. The women of the village, led by the beautiful Salma, gradually start to regard Achmed as the man of the village. Achmed is not too keen on this role, but is nevertheless drawn into what he sees as the sensual, sinister every day life of the women. In the meantime, the migrants send letters home, filled with complaints about bitter humiliations. When three men come back, they see that Achmed has grown up and influences the whole village. Achmed will have to die to wipe out their feelings of shame. With its indictment to the countryside, to the forgotten, dead south and to the problem of migration, Palm Wine forms an exception within Egyptian cinema.
Radwan El Kashef
Radwan El Kashef (1952, Cairo) studied philosophy and directing in Cairo. His graduation film, The Woman from the South (1986), was given the prize for the best short at the Cairo International Film Festival. He was editor of the magazine Cinema and has been assistant director on more than twenty Egyptian productions, for instance for Youssef Chahine. He regularly writes reviews for al-Ahaly and Adab Wa Naqd and is involved as director with several television series.
films
Films: The Woman From the South (1986, short), A Life of a Wandering Vendor (1991, short), Lei ya banafsegh / Violets are Blue (1992), La Sueur des Palmiers / Date Wine (1996).
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