The Vibe at El Gouna
The ninth edition of the El Gouna Film Festival is officially here, and it is giving main character energy. Set against the backdrop of the Red Sea, the festival is bringing together a stellar lineup of Arab cinema mixed with heavy hitters from Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, and Shanghai. The selection is heavy on themes of love, memory, and the reality of navigating social and political upheaval.
The Must-Watch List
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Safe Exit (Egypt/Libya/Tunisia/Qatar/Germany): Mohammed Hammad returns with a story set in Cairo about a Coptic security guard haunted by his past and his bond with an impoverished sex worker. It’s definitely not your average rom-com, no cap.
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Only Rebels Win (France/Lebanon/Qatar): Danielle Arbid’s film about a widow in Beirut finding independence after falling for a younger migrant is lowkey genius. Fun fact: because filming in Lebanon was a no-go due to the war, they filmed background footage there and shot the actors against projections in Paris. The plot thickens, indeed.
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3 Weeks After (Serbia/Bulgaria/Italy/Croatia/Luxembourg): A chilling look at a group of students dealing with the aftermath of a classmate’s suicide. It’s not just about the bullies—it’s about the bystanders who said nothing.
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Halima (Morocco): This fiction feature debut explores the hidden cannabis economy in Morocco through the eyes of a widow fighting displacement. It’s raw, real talk, and avoids judging the people just trying to survive.
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Citizen Osama (Palestine/France): A Venice-premiered documentary following photojournalist Osama Al-Ashi in Gaza. It’s officially Palestine’s entry for the 2027 Oscars, and the stakes could not be higher.
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The Return of Captain Kabonga (Egypt): A deep dive into an Egyptian wrestler trying to bring back his WWE-style shows while dealing with economic struggle. It’s wholesome, weird, and feels like a total W for local storytelling.
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Whispers in May (Hong Kong/Netherlands/South Korea/Sweden): A coming-of-age story about a 14-year-old in China’s Liangshan Mountains. It blends myth and reality in a way that just hits different.
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Nuisance Bear (Canada/U.S./U.K.): If you thought nature docs were all the same, this one flips the script. It shows Manitoba’s polar bears interacting with humans, but from the bears' point of view. The humans are basically the intruders here.
Why it matters
El Gouna is more than just a red carpet event; it is a vital incubator for regional talent. Through its industry arm, CineGouna, many of these films got the support they needed to actually reach the screen. Watching these stories is a total move if you want to support filmmakers who are actively redefining how the world views the Arab region.
