This year’s Venice Film Festival is not just a celebration of cinema—it’s a bridge between cultures. Amidst the grandeur of Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti, an extraordinary exhibition titled Your Ghosts Are Mine: Expanded Cinemas, Amplified Voices has emerged, presenting a rare and expansive survey of contemporary filmmaking from the Middle East and North Africa. Brought to Venice by Qatar Museums, this exhibition is a testament to the region’s vibrant and often underrepresented cinematic voices.
Launched in April during the vernissage week for the 60th Venice Biennale, the exhibition sprawls across ten galleries, each thoughtfully curated around themes such as “deserts,” “borders,” “exile,” and “ruins.” Over 40 artists, hailing from diverse corners of the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond, have contributed to this ambitious showcase. Among them are notable figures like Shirin Neshat, Sophia Al Maria, and Wael Shawky—who also represents Egypt at the Biennale—whose works stand out as emblematic of the depth and range on display.
One of the highlights is Ali Cherri’s The Dam (2022), a haunting narrative set against the tumultuous backdrop of Sudan’s 2019 protests. The film follows Maher, a brickyard worker on the Nile’s banks, who secretly constructs a mysterious mud structure in the desert—a project that soon becomes entwined with supernatural phenomena. The work serves as both a personal and political exploration of a nation in flux.
Another powerful entry is Little Palestine: Diary of a Siege (2021) by Abdallah Al-Khatib. Filmed between 2011 and 2015, this intimate portrayal of life in the Yarmouk refugee camp near Damascus captures the resilience and small joys of a community under siege. As the Syrian revolution unfolded, Yarmouk was systematically deprived of essentials, becoming a symbol of resistance against Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. Al-Khatib’s film is a poignant testament to survival amid devastation.
The exhibition is backed by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) and Qatar Museums, with Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, CEO of DFI, emphasizing the event’s mission to correct the misrepresentation of Arab culture in global cinema. “For nearly 15 years, the Institute has worked to nurture important new voices in cinema,” she noted, underscoring the importance of this cultural endeavor. Additional support comes from Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art and the Art Mill Museum, further solidifying Qatar’s commitment to fostering cross-cultural understanding.
In a historic move, Qatar Museums and the City of Venice recently signed a Protocol of Cooperation, promising future collaborations and investments in cultural exchanges. Venice’s mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, highlighted the city’s enduring role as a crossroads of global cultures, echoing its past as a vital link between East and West. With this agreement, Qatar may soon secure a pavilion in the prestigious Giardini, marking the first new addition since South Korea’s in 1995—a testament to Venice’s ongoing vitality and Qatar’s rising influence in the global cultural landscape.
