Most people remember the first time they saw a film that felt truly different. Like a sucker punch to the gut, whether or not the movie in question is something you even liked is oftentimes beside the point. Those moments in the dark, focused onscreen, hold the potential for a deeply transformative experience, and a movie can shape who we are and how we think forever.

The term, "alternative, is sometimes overused in cinema, as it is in music: it is usually meant to imply something made outside of, or even against, a country's predominant film industry. This usually connotes the kind of funding entailed, or is a simplistic way of lumping together everything deemed experimental into one crude box. However he argument can also be made that some films created within the harsh confines of the mainstream are alternative; by telling unique stories that may not have wide-ranging appeal, and taking risks that are anathema to studio executives or producers wringing their hands at the filmmaker and screenwriter for being so careless with their money. These kinds of films are truly subversive, its makers acting as double agents to help transform the industry from within

Our work at Cimatheque thus far has been an attempt to highlight and expand upon the meaning of alternative cinema, particularly within the local context. One question that looms over our heads and has actually generated quite a bit of debate amongst our team is whether an Egyptian film that has major stars, wellknown producers, and a decent budge, could be considered alternative. A film like Fallen Angels' Paradise (1999) was supposed to have all the ingredients for full-on success. However, when it debuted in cinemas, it was widely panned, and puled from theatres shortly thereafter. It has now gained a cut-like following amongst Egyptian cinephiles, and arguably its influence continues to manifest itself in the films and video art currently produced

Beyond the Frame is a program we have been formulating for some time: it is a modest attempt to raise a few questions regarding the definition of alternative cinema by providing a kaleidoscopic view, moving from region to region, and decade to decade. The first two weeks will focus on Egyptian cinema of the last 20 years, featuring works from directors Khairy Beshara, Atef Hetata, Oussama Fawzi, alongside a younger generation of filmmakers such as Nadine Khan, Nadine Salib and Karim Hanafy. These works present a challenge to the dominating film aesthetics of their time, and have each struggled to be produce and distributed in ways the filmmakers deem fit and necessary.

For more info and details about the programme, visit the facebook link below: