CAIRO JAZZMAN
cairo jazzman | Atef Ben Bouzid | germany 2017 | 82 min
synopsis
“Jazz is more than just a style of music”, says Amr Salah. “It’s about freedom.” Salah, a jazz pianist, is an enthusiastic promoter of the genre. Every year he organises the Cairo Jazz Festival, but doesn’t view himself as a festival director: He is first and foremost a musician and fan. In this music documentary, people close to Salah such as his fellow musicians and proud parents discuss his passion. In Egypt, jazz attracts a conspicuously young audience, emphasising the chasm between them and the older generation who rule the country. The authorities therefore provide almost no support to Salah’s jazz festival. The film follows him during the run-up to the festival and various major and minor problems crop up. “Egypt is full of surprises”, he observes when one of the locations suddenly becomes unavailable mere days before the festival. Luckily, as a jazz musician he is good at improvising.
synopsis
«Jazz er mer enn bare en stil innen musikk», sier Amr Salah. « det handler om frihet». Salah, en jazzpianist, er en entusiatisk promotør for sjangeren. Hvert år arrangerer han Kairo Jazz festival, men han anser ikke seg selv som festivalens direktør. Han er først og fremst en musiker og fan. I denne musikkdokumentaren møter vi folk som står Salah nær, som hans musikkkolleager og stolte foreldre, som diskuterer hans lidenskap. I Egypt tiltrekker jazz et yngre publikum som legger vekt på kløften mellom de og den eldre generasjonen som styrer landet. Derfor får festivalen nesten ingen støtte av den egyptiske regjeringen. Filmen følger ham i forberedelsene til festivalen og flere større og mindre problemer hoper seg opp. « Egypt er full av overraskelser». uttaler han da en av konsertstedene plutselig blir utilgjengelig et par dager før festivalen åpner. Heldigvis er han, som jazzmusiker, god til å improvisere.
Director
Atef Ben Bouzid is a German journalist, director, and producer from Berlin, worked for national and international media outlets and specialized in the fields of sports, music, and society. Speaking five languages, he spent lengthy periods of time in Cairo, Tokyo, and New York City, and is especially interested in the many aspects of human interaction and communication across cultures and countries. Most recently Atef Ben Bouzid directed and produced the feature documentary CAIRO JAZZMAN.
DIRECTORS NOTE
Music is the universal language, the element connecting human beings, regardless where they are from. It’s the perfect tool to provide a new perspective, to broaden our horizons. That’s the goal of "Cairo Jazzman." I arrived in Cairo for the first time in 2002. I was almost overwhelmed by this city, its energy, vibrancy, and its chaos. I was spellbound by this unique metropolis and the amazing and decent people who live there. Cairo is not an easy place. It is challenging, special, unique.
In our globalized world the pace of our lives is accelerating and we are in danger of drowning in the onslaught of mass and social media. There seems to be no time anymore for thoughtful considerations, for asking the right questions and looking for reasoned answers. This is why we are thirsting for stories about individuals who stop us in our tracks, who are remarkable because of who they are and what they do, who make a difference and who overcome obstacles against all odds. It was in Cairo, that I found such an individual.
So it was an easy decision to document the courageous project of a passionate Egyptian determined to make Jazz accessible, to pass it to the next generation. Despite lacking any funding this was a story that needed to be told. Officials have tight control over filming in public so despite persisting it was still a great surprise to receive an exceedingly rare permission to do so, especially for a non-Egyptian. This documentary is an example of what's possible if we are only passionate enough to do what we believe in.
A filmmaker is nothing without his or her subject and the team. I was fortunate to have met the right people to realize the dream of making this documentary.
Reviews/PRESS
The film includes breathtaking footage of Cairo, interviews from international artists that were invited for the festival and even Salah’s parents make an appearance. Worth noting also is the fact that this documentary entirely self-funded and independent, which posed an obstacle when it came to obtaining filming permits. But like the Cairo Jazz Festival itself, it prevailed through most difficulties presented to it. Fady Adel, Cairo Scene, Egypt
Atif Ben Bouzid's film about the Cairo Jazz Festival gives unusual and multi-layered insights into the life of civil society in the megacity of Cairo, embedded in jazz as a universal language that unites people and expands horizons. Jazzinstitut Darmstadt
In this dramaturgically clever and tasteful documentary, Cairo appears like another protagonist - sophisticated, downright groovy interlocked with the atmospherically appropriate music. With CAIRO JAZZMAN, director and producer Atef Ben Bouzid has made a remarkable debut. Katrin Wilke / Taz, Germany
Look where prejudices block your view and listen to the wonderful Arab and non-Arab musicians who ultimately play at the festival. Ulrich Stock, Die Zeit, Germany
An Interview with filmmakers/producers Atef Ben Bouzid and Sebastian Leitner.
The National Newspaper: Documentary Cairo Jazzman traces Egyptian composer Amr Salah’s musical journey.
PRESSkit
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CAIRO JAZZMAN
Running time: 82 min
Genre: Music Documentary
Country/Year: Germany/2017
Format: DCP IOP 2K Flat Surround
With AMRO SALAH, MICHELLE ROUNDS, NABIL KHEMIR, KAZ OKUMURA TRIO, CARLOS BICA, CARSTEN DAERR,
OUM & BAND, ARABIAN KNIGHTZ, SOWETO KINCH, NASEER SHAMMA, ADAM LUKAS
Director ATEF BEN BOUZID
Producer ATEF BEN BOUZID, SEBASTIAN LEITNER
Cinematography FRANCESCA ARAIZA ANDRADE
Editing SEBASTIAN LEITNER
Sound JONAS PETERSEN
Music TIM HENDRIK HAASE, ADAM LUKAS
ICKEKREUZBERG, SLFILM
