Sofia MENAR 2020 – film festival which breaks prejudices about the Muslim world

Frame of the Iranian movie “Domino”

Few days ago for twelfth consecutive year was officially opened the film festival Sofia MENAR 2020 which this year will take place till January 30 and is running in parallel in several Bulgarian cities – Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora and Varna. 

The another edition of the film festival is focused on the culture and the traditions of the people form the Islamic world, presenting us the best from the feature films, documentaries and the short films of the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa. One of the focuses this year is joint film productions between countries from Scandinavian region and the Middle East.

Frame of the Egyptian movie “At the End of the World”

The festival was officially opened in the capital’s Cinema House on Janurary 14 (Tuesday), 2020 with the Egyptian movie “At the End of the World”. This year’s selection of movies within Sofia MENAR is extremely diverse and the productions can be watched in five cinemas in Sofia – Cinema House, “Euro Cinema”, “Cultural Center “G8”, “Vlaykova” Cinema and Czech Center, as well as in Plovdiv, Varna and Stara Zagora. 

During the festival there also take place official evenings where the different cinematography is presented – this year the official evenings are dedicated to Azerbaijan, Palestine, Indonesia, India and Morocco. Through exhibitions and various other manifestations from the lifestyle and the culture of the relevant countries the events give us the opportunity to get to know these regions of the world more closely.

However, the most valuable of Sofia MENAR is the opportunity to break all prejudices and stereotypes regarding the Muslim world and its peoples; the opportunity to open our senses for the distant and the unknown, which in normal circumstances always frightens and raises hostility.

The film festival Sofia MENAR definitely puts the foundations of a kind of “bridge” between the different ethnicities, religions and cultures. And each of us has the opportunity to put his “brick” in the construction of this connection with the distant and the unknown – till January 30, 2020, in four Bulgarian cities, thanks to “Pozor” Association.

The entire screening program within the film festival Sofia MENAR 2020 can be seen HERE.

Author: L. Chausheva

Photos: Sofia MENAR 2020