Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival

DIRECTOR: Francois Verster | South Africa / Egypt / Jordan / France / Netherlands | 2014 | 107min

In the classic of Arabian literature, 1001 Nights, Princess Shahrazad saves the lives and soul of her people through her skilled storytelling. Now, Verster draws from this rich tapestry to weave his own tale for modern times, crossing the pre- and post-revolution territories of the Arab Spring, in which creativity and storytelling form the life-blood of resistance. A Turkish conductor prepares his orchestra for a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade in the shadow of Gezi Park, his story intermingling with that of a young Lebanese internet activist, an Egyptian artist and a Cairo theatre troupe, forming a constellation of characters and stories in a shimmering, hybrid film unlike any other.

See also: Events » 1001 Stories — Francois Verster Master Class