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After many delays, the Gouna Film Festival is finally back with a range of inspiring and soul-touching movies. From watching the rapper Ziad Zaza on screen for the first time to captivating societal commentary, GFF presents you with four Egyptian short films in its upcoming edition, and here is everything you need to know about them.

Seteen Geneh

Directed by the iconic Amr Salama and starring rapper Ziad Zaza, the much-awaited short film of the year, Seteen Geneh, is the opening movie for this year’s Gouna Film Festival. After the 2017 Salama film Sheikh Jackson debuted the GFF that same year, this is the second time for the beloved director’s work to open the illustrious award ceremony. The story behind Seteen Geneh is inspired by Ziad Zaza’s song with the same title. The song, which discusses domestic violence and the struggles of youth, was turned into a short visual masterpiece by Salama.

Objects Are Closer Than They Appear

The phrase “objects in the mirror are closer than they appear” is a safety warning commonly engraved on passenger side mirrors of motor vehicles to prevent optical illusions. It was chosen as the title for this film as the protagonist faces his feelings of self-doubt and makes amends for his insecurities, as they lead him to overinflate the gravity of the challenges he goes through. The film was selected for the Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival.

But Not Forgotten

Directed by Gehad Alam Eldin, But Not Forgotten discusses the feelings of grief. Bidding farewell to her brother after his passing, the 21-year-old protagonist is left to wonder: can a fragile bond unite them?

Let Us Play Yesterday

Written by Menna Ekram, the screenwriter behind the infamous series Zodiac and Heba Regl El Ghorab, Let Us Play Yesterday counts the tale of an event where students defy societal norms. The movie shows the fight against stigmas and the power of youth.