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Abo Zaabal 89
Program
Abo Zaabal 89

Abo Zaabal 89

Bassam Mortada
Egypt, Germany
2024
83 min
World Premiere
Luminous
Tickets & Times
Synopsis

Bassam Mortada was five years old when he first visited his father Mahmoud in the notorious Abo Zaabal prison. With the police raid still fresh in his mind, his experience was dominated by incomprehension. But in the years that followed, resentment took hold.

Bassam was raised by his mother Fardous, a socialist activist herself. As a single parent, her life was hard, and when Mahmoud was finally released from prison he seemed like a different person. He left for Vienna, and for a second time she was left behind, this time embittered. Bassam grew alienated from both, suppressing his own trauma and confusion.

In this documentary, he films his efforts to renew and restore relationships with his parents and find a path to historical truth, emotional comprehension and psychological healing, as he tries to reconstruct how his parents’ political activism has shaped their family. Through conversations with his parents and their friends, the cassette tapes his father sent from Vienna, a theatrical monologue by his father’s best friend, newspaper archives and found footage, he shows the impact of the “big” history of Egypt on the “small” history of his family.

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Tickets & Times
Tue, november 19
18:30 – 20:08
Pathé City 2
Film fully subtitled in English

Wed, november 20
Press & Industry Screening, Passholders only
13:30 – 14:56
Pathé City 4
Film fully subtitled in English

Thu, november 21
17:45 – 19:28
Tuschinski 2
Film fully subtitled in English

Fri, november 22
13:00 – 14:43
Pathé City 5
Film fully subtitled in English

Sat, november 23
19:15 – 20:41
Rialto VU: Zaal 4
Film fully subtitled in English

Sun, november 24
16:45 – 18:11
Tuschinski 6
Film fully subtitled in English
Credits
83 min
color
DCP
Spoken languages: Arabic
Director
    Bassam Mortada
    Bassam Mortada
Production
    Kesmat Elsayed for See Media Production,
    Anke Petersen for Joyti Films,
    Kesmat Elsayed for SEERA Film GmbH
    Kesmat Elsayed for See Media Production,
    Anke Petersen for Joyti Films,
    Kesmat Elsayed for SEERA Film GmbH
Co-production
    Anke Petersen for Joyti Films,
    Anna Chester for JYOTI Film GmbH
    Anke Petersen for Joyti Films,
    Anna Chester for JYOTI Film GmbH
Executive producer
    Kesmat Elsayed
    Kesmat Elsayed
Cinematography
    Maged Nader
    Maged Nader
Editing
    Ahmad abo el fadl
    Ahmad abo el fadl
Sound Design
    Daniel Wulf,
    Philipp X
    Daniel Wulf,
    Philipp X
Music
    Rami Abadir,
    Omar Elabd
    Rami Abadir,
    Omar Elabd
Screenplay
    Bassam Mortada
    Bassam Mortada
Narration
    Bassam Mortada
    Bassam Mortada
Screening copy
    Kesmat Elsayed for See Media Production
    Kesmat Elsayed for See Media Production

Stills

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Abo Zaabal 89

Abo Zaabal 89

Bassam Mortada
2024
83 min