Fostering dialogue between the Arab world and the West

The second Malmo Arab Film Festival (MAFF) was held in Sweden this September. The event serves to foster cultural dialogue between the West and the Arab world – and is not just worth a visit for culture vultures and film fans. Every year, producers from Arab countries can submit their films for the festival. Visitors have the chance to see actors and producers on the red carpet during the event.

We from Textklinik also found ourselves drawn to the open-minded city of Malmö. The red carpet is rolled out before the festival even begins. Camera teams and journalists flock to the city, giving it a touch of Hollywood magic. 45 films from 24 Arab countries are shown during the 8-day festival. Each of the movies focuses on Arab culture. Film awards are presented in 5 categories: best documentary film, best feature film, best short film, best actor and best actress. If that is not enough, there is also a whole host of seminars on offer. The festival programme also includes parties and other activities dedicated to sharing Arab and Western culture.

“I came last year too and I always think it’s really impressive how much positive energy both producers and our Swedish hosts put into the project,” says Akram Samed, who originally comes from Egypt but has lived in Sweden for 15 years. He is by no means alone in being fascinated by the non-profit project. Without exception, actors and visitors alike are enthusiastic about the festival: they all relish the opportunity for cultural dialogue and the chance to broaden their horizons and meet like-minded people. MAFF relies on funding from various grants and donations. Anyone who would like to make a cultural contribution can support the festival.

We think that the translators responsible for the various films’ subtitles deserve a special mention for their great work. After all, translating from Arabic is very challenging and requires a great deal of care.