East of Noon
Spring Grants 2023 - Post-Production Stage
Hala Elkoussy / Feature Narrative / Netherlands, Egypt, Qatar / 2024 / 109 min / Colour and B&W / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Drama
Synopsis
Set in a confined world outside time, ‘East of Noon’ follows 19-year-old Abdo—a musical prodigy who dares to challenge the rigid order of his elders. The eccentric showman Shawky rules their isolated community through a theatrical blend of performance and fear, while Galala, the village storyteller, offers solace with fables of the sea—an unseen place that exists only in myth. As Abdo’s rebellious spirit grows, he begins to use music as a weapon of resistance, disrupting the fragile balance of power and exposing the system’s vulnerability to the unrelenting force of youth. A biting satire, the film examines the cyclical nature of power and resistance, where control is sustained through spectacle and the suppression of alternative narratives.
A visual feast, the film is shot on both 16mm black-and-white and 35mm colour film, creating a striking contrast between stark reality and the dreamlike allure of possibility. Elkoussy’s meticulous world-building extends to every detail—from the handcrafted musical instruments to the intricately designed theatrical sets—evoking an atmosphere of entrapment and longing. Filmed in Egypt, ‘East of Noon’ is the first feature shot on analogue film in the country in over a decade. By blending fable with political allegory, Elkoussy delivers a poetic yet urgent meditation on the power of art and the unbreakable spirit of those who dare to imagine a different future.
Credits
- Director
- Hala Elkoussy
- Screenwriter
- Hala Elkoussy
- Producer
- Hala Elkoussy (Nu'ta Film), Lonnie van Brummelen (VRIZA), Marc Thelosen (seriousFilm)
- Production Company
- Nu'ta Film, VRIZA, seriousFilm
About the Director
Hala Elkoussy is a visual artist who works across a variety of media: photography, video, installation, and sculpture. She has produced several short films that were screened in exhibitions and film festivals around the world, among which the Istanbul Biennial, Tate Modern, and the Centre Georges Pompidou. She obtained her BA from the American University in Cairo and her MA from Goldsmith College, University of London. In 2004, she co-founded Cairo Image Collective, the first space dedicated to the image in the Region. In 2006, she completed a two-year Residency at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten. In 2010, she received the Abraaj Capital Prize. 'Cactus Flower', her first feature film, participated at Fabrique Cinemas Du Monde and went on to premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. It received the Best Actress Award at the Dubai International Film Festival and the Special Jury Award at the Aswan International Women's Film Festival. It is currently screening on Netflix. In 2020, Elkoussy chaired the board of De Appel Amsterdam.