May 2023 will see the UK release of two films by Arab women directors, Myriam Touzani’s festival hit The Blue Caftan and Erige Sehiri’s Tunisian-set, Directors’ Fortnight entry Under The Fig Trees.

To celebrate these releases, The Garden Cinema have collated recent key feature films made by Arab women directors that, together, offer a rich and diverse introduction to filmmaking from the region. They’ve picked films that tell everyday, very human stories, away from sensationalist and reductionist portrayals too often offered up by depictions of the Arab world. These films together will form their latest season: Mukhrijat: Arab Women Filmmakers. The films will be complemented by introductions, Q&As and events. 
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UNDER THE FIG TREES
Among the trees, young women and men working the summer harvest develop new feelings, flirt, try to understand each other, find -- and flee -- deeper connections.

Why we include it in our season:
New UK release Under The Fig Trees premiered at Directors’ Fortnight. It’s an exquisitely shot story film, an immersive experience, as Erige pulls us into the intricacies of the harvest and close to the murmurs of its female protagonists under a baking sun. It is a delicate and intimate portrait of women workers tackling wider issues around gender and relationships.

Book tickets here.