As part of this year’s festival, SAFAR is running a 5-day intensive workshop which invites participants to creatively explore the legacy of Arab film stars through the creation of video essays. Led by Cairo-based artist Bahia Shehab in collaboration with scholars Dr Stefanie Van de Peer and Dr Kaya Davies Hayon, the workshop is inspired by their newly published book, Transnational Arab Stardom.
Artists and creatives selected to participate in the residency will engage with archival materials, develop their editing skills, and produce short films that respond to the careers and representations of iconic figures such as Umm Kulthum, Omar Sharif, and Asmahan. This event, open to all, will be a showcase of the results of the residency as well as a broader conversation about Arab stardom with Bahia, Stefanie and Kaya.