Last Friday saw the 24th edition of the Cinemamed Brussels Mediterranean Film Festival close, after shining a light on the vitality of Egyptian cinema in both its competitions. Two films dominated the Official Competition: discovered in the Venice Film Festival’s Orizzonti Extra line-up, Seeking Haven for Mr Rambo by Khaled Mansour follows in the footsteps of Hassan, his mother and his dog Rambo, who live in a working-class district of Cairo and are at risk of eviction because their mechanic landlord Karem wants to expand his workshop. During an altercation, Rambo defends his master and bites Karem in the crotch, leaving Hassan to brave the hostile city and his buried fears in order to protect his dog, which humiliated Karem is now seeking revenge against. The film also earned itself the Critics’ Prize.

Another movie stealing focus on the Official Competition’s winners’ list is Red Path [+leggi anche:
recensione
scheda film] by Lotfi Achour, which bagged the Special Jury Prize, the Citizen Jury Prize, and a Special Mention for Ali Hlali’s performance. Revealed in Locarno’s Cineasti del Presente line-up, this initiatory journey in north-west Tunisia, set against a backdrop of fear and terrorism, is unquestionably winning over Belgian festivals, since the movie also won Namur’s Golden Bayard back in October.

Another memorable result was the Cineuropa Award, awarded to a film within the Official Competition, which was won by Maura Delpero’s second feature film, the Italian work Vermiglio, The Mountain Bride [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Maura Delpero
scheda film], which nabbed the Grand Jury Prize Silver Lion in Venice back in September.

For 3 years now, Cinemamed has also hosted a second competition - the Revolution Competition - dedicated to a selection of films by and about Mediterranean youngsters. Its prize was awarded to another Egyptian film, The Brink of Dreams [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Nada Riyadh, Ayman El Amir
scheda film] by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, which previously scooped the Golden Eye (for Best Documentary) in Cannes, following its premiere in Critics’ Week. This docu-fiction film follows the day-to-day life of an all-female street theatre troupe over the course of 4 years. The movie also earned itself the Youth Jury Prize. Equally noteworthy was the Revolution jury deciding to award a Special Mention to actress Fatma Sfar for her performance in Mehdi M. Barsaoui’s Aïcha [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film].

The audience was likewise called upon to vote, and chose to single out Belgian film The Virgin and Child [+leggi anche:
recensione
scheda film], which is the first feature by the director of Kurdish origin Berivan Binevsa. The movie follows the trajectory of Avesta, a young Kurdish Yazidi woman who has survived the hell of Daech and who travels to Brussels with only one thing in mind: to take revenge on the man who reduced her to slavery. Between therapy, which reveals the abuse she’s suffered, and an obligation to be a mother to an unwanted child, Avesta tries to get her voice heard at all costs. The film also walked away with the Les Grenades Prize.

The festival itself proved a resounding hit with audiences this year, attracting almost 20% more viewers than the previous edition and resulting in record attendance levels. It closed with the Belgian premiere of Manele Labidi’s latest feature film, Queen Mom [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Manele Labidi
scheda film].

The full list of winners is as follows:

Competition

Grand Prize
Seeking Haven for Mr Rambo - Khaled Mansour (Egypt/Saudi Arabia)

Special Jury Prize
Red Path [+leggi anche:
recensione
scheda film] - Lotfi Achour (Tunisia/France/Belgium)

Special Jury Mention
Ali Hlali – Red Path

Revolution

Revolution Prize
The Brink of Dreams [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Nada Riyadh, Ayman El Amir
scheda film] - Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir (Egypt/France/Denmark/Qatar/Saudi Arabia)

Special Mention
Fatma Sfar - Aïcha [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film] (Tunisia/France/Italy/Saudi Arabia/Qatar)

Other awards

Cineuropa Award
Vermiglio, the Mountain Bride [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Maura Delpero
scheda film] - Maura Delpero (Italy/Belgium)

Critics’ Prize
Seeking Haven for Mr Rambo - Khaled Mansour

Citizien Jury Prize
Red Path - Lotfi Achour

Youth Jury Prize
The Brink of Dreams - Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir
Special Mention
Since I Was Born [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Jawad Rhalib
scheda film] - Jawad Rhalib (Belgium)

Audience Award
The Virgin and Child [+leggi anche:
recensione
scheda film] - Berivan Binevsa (Belgium)

Les Grenades Prize
The Virgin and Child - Berivan Binevsa
Special Mention
Veuves! - Sonia Pastecchia (Belgium)