Retro Images, Modern Interpretations

A screening of three short, experimental films by renowned Palestinian artist Essa Grayeb followed by a Q/A and talk.

The Return of Osiris revisits Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser's resignation speech as portrayed in various Egyptian films and TV series from 1976 to 2016. Using found footage, the film reconstructs Nasser’s speech verbatim, exploring the manners of depicting historical moments through cinema. Through this exploration, the film delves into the notion of remembering moments in the regenal Arab history and the nature of the collective memory of trauma, and invites reflection on the nature of memory itself.

My Whole Heart Is With You is an 8-minute and 49-second experimental video, crafted from manipulated found-footage sourced from a pivotal moment in Arab history: the resignation speech of Egypt's President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, during the 1967 defeat.

Suspended Dawn, is a poetic archeological excavation of Egypt's golden age, the video essay is divided into chapters featuring digital manipulations overlaying footage from Youssef Chahine's film and sounds. The video fuses contemporary figures into the pharaonic city, creating a deliberate alienating juxtaposition between ancient and modern Egypt and reflects on the immortal legacy of Egypt's reverent past, as echoes of pharaonic Egypt's art and mythology meet contemporary culture.