Qisah, meaning “story”, continues the rich history of storytelling in the Muslim world by showcasing films that explore the everyday struggles, hopes, and desires of people in Muslim countries. These films highlight the commonalities and differences of our shared human experience and visually display the cultural vibrancy of these societies.
Supported by the British Film Institute (BFI) Qisah provides a platform for film-makers who are producing new and exciting films about contemporary life to connect with audiences that seek films that represent their life-worlds.
The festival was held in London at the Kiln Cinema (Kilburn), the Lyric (Hammersmith) and the Rio (Dalston). With films from Africa, the Far-East, Europe, Central Asia and the Middle-East the festival offers a rich and diverse tableau of life in Muslim societies.
This first pilot festival highlighted the films that explore women’s lives and the ways of navigating and challenging women’s universal experiences of patriarchy.
QISAH International Film Festival
Hosted in London
9th-12th Nov 2022
Stories from the Muslim World
films
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Leila's Brothers
Iran
View TrailerLeila’s simmering rage…is the emotional energy that powers the movie…a great performance from Alidoosti, first among equals in a great ensemble cast.
– The GuardianWinner of the Fipresci Prize for best film in Cannes main competition
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Tug of War
Tanzania/Zanzibar
View Trailer“Tug of War” evokes the fin de siècle character of a society on the verge of a violent disruption, as British administrators blithely wine and dine in expat social clubs and the plangent chords of taarab music echo through the narrow lanes of a Stone Town harshly segregated along arbitrary racial lines.
- Variety -
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The Assault
Kazakhstan
View Trailer…a bleakly stylish thriller
– The Film Verdict -
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Commitment Hasan
Turkey
View TrailerA slowburner with considerable cumulative power, the latest from Semih Kaplanoglu combines an enveloping sense of place with a pleasingly textured portrait of an imperfect man.
- Screen International -
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Before Now and Then
Indonesia
View Trailer… an intoxicating work that holds the viewer in a tight, loving embrace that won’t let go
- Hollywood Reporter -
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Radiograph of a Family
Iran
View Trailer…a beautifully crafted work of family history with an especially powerful ending.
– The Guardian -
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Quareer
Saudi Arabia
View TrailerAnthology film “Quareer,” by five young female Saudi directors, has emerged as the big winner at the eighth edition of the Saudi Film Festival, which is the country’s oldest film event.
- Variety -
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The Gravedigger's Wife
Somalia
View TrailerCharming and wistful without ever feeling maudlin The Gravedigger’s Wife is a beautiful love letter to the power of family
- Roger Ebert.com -
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The Exam
Kurdistan
View TrailerA taut female-driven story which delves into the moral ambiguities of Shilan and Rojin's increasingly desperate measures.
– Screen International -
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Our Brothers
France/Algeria
View TrailerPolitically conscious film-maker turns his attention to the scourge of police brutality with Our Brothers, a straightforward true-life drama that's earnest but effective
- Screen International -
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Vera Dreams of the Sea
Kosovo
View Trailer“an impressive feature debut with this beautifully measured drama”
- The Film Verdict -
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Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous
Lebanon
View TrailerWith its bittersweet, minimalist style, akin to a social allegory verging on comedy, the romantic story of a passionate love between two destitute migrants exiled and trapped in Beirut forms the beating heart of Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous
- Cineuropa -
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Before the Dying of the Light
Morocco
View Trailer...an experimental scrapbook of a film that...makes up for what it lack in context by its immersive evocation of an era
- Eye for Film -
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Nezouh
Syria
View Trailer
