Film Restored – screening ‘With Pyramids’

DE/COLONIAL GAZE

Screening ‘With Pyramids’, GER, 1991, directed by Renate Sami 

OV w Ger subtitles 

Original format: 16 mm, 1:1.37, color 

Screening print: DCP, 93 min, Deutsche Kinemathek, Berlin 

Cairo is one of the oldest cities in the world, bearing traces of ancient, Christian, and Muslim cultures. Director Sami lived in Egypt for years and here she explores the country with her camera, capturing images of a young girl dancing, a dusty street, small shops with people milling out front, an older woman who tells stories of her life. Images, photo- graphs, and text evoke memories of the many faces of the country – from Memphis, the ancient capital, to al-Fustat, and the construction of the Ibn Tulun mosque. What remains are some archaic rites and rituals, and the remnants of ruins, monuments, and structures from long ago, found scattered across the entire city and reflected in the texts of a woman named Om Gad.

In 2021, the Deutsche Kinemathek commissioned a digitiza- tion and 2K restoration at Arri Media, based on the original 16mm negative and sound mix. The restoration was funded by the German film heritage program FFE.

Film talk with Renate Sami (director)

→ Tickets: 8,50 €