Cairo’s independent cinema Zawya has scheduled a free documentary programme that places memories of Egyptian political struggle alongside questions about family, friendship and the institutions that preserve moving images.

The programme, “It’s The Ghost of…”, runs from 1 to 8 November 2026, according to CairoScene’s report published on 1 November. It brings together five films and discussions, with Mohamed Hoogla-Kalfat identified as the programmer. This is a guide to the announced programme and its context, rather than an eyewitness account of the opening screening.

For viewers planning the remaining dates, the distinction between a programme running across a week and screenings taking place every night is important. The published schedule identifies particular evenings; it should not be read as a promise of daily admission.

### What is scheduled next

Elfasla’s Arabic-language listing, also published on 1 November, gives the remaining programme as follows: “You, Wajeh” and “Abu Zaabal 89” on 4 November; “Into Studio Masr” on 6 November; and “Four Women of Egypt” on 8 November. The screenings are listed for 7pm Cairo time, with free admission on a first-come basis.

That account says the 4 November discussion is scheduled with Bassam Mortada and Nadia Kamel; the 6 November discussion with Mona Asaad and Hala Galal; and the 8 November discussion with May Telmissany. “My Name Is Mustafa Khamis” was the announced 1 November opening film. Its scheduled date has passed, and this report does not claim that RIM attended it.

Zawya’s official website identifies its venue as Cinema Karim, 15 Emad El Deen Street, Downtown Cairo. Viewers should confirm the current programme and admission arrangements directly with the cinema before travelling. Free entry remains subject to capacity; a published listing is not a reserved seat.

### Histories carried through relationships

The films offer different routes into political memory. The National Film Board of Canada’s description of “Four Women of Egypt” centres on four friends with differing political and religious views. Directed by Tahani Rached, it follows their capacity to argue while sustaining a relationship.

That description helps explain why the programme can interest audiences beyond those already familiar with Egyptian communist histories. A friendship allows disagreement to appear as an ongoing human relationship, rather than only a contest between abstract positions. This is an interpretation of the programme’s possibilities, not a claim about how its audience has responded.

For “Abu Zaabal 89”, Darat al Funun’s earlier screening note describes Mortada returning to his father’s arrest during the 1989 iron and steel workers’ strike and its continuing effects on family memory. That January 2026 note provides context for the film; it is not the source of the November Cairo timetable.

Together, these descriptions suggest questions a discussion can productively examine: what can family testimony reveal, what remains unspoken, and how does a filmmaker distinguish personal recollection from the broader historical record? A documentary’s viewpoint is part of the encounter, not a substitute for examining evidence.

### Programming is part of film culture

The programme also draws attention to the work between making a film and finding its audience. The Network of Arab Alternative Screens’ account of its 2025–2026 fellowship describes support for research leading to public outcomes and includes Egyptian cinema’s relationship with communism among the selected themes.

Zawya’s own institutional history records its establishment in 2014 and a distribution arm launched in 2015. Its model shows how exhibition and circulation can extend the life of independent films beyond an initial release.

For programmers elsewhere in Africa and the diaspora, the useful lesson is the value of a reasoned selection. Pairing films, providing historical context and allowing discussion can create an entry point into work that viewers might not otherwise seek out. Rights clearance, accessible information and space for differing interpretations remain essential to doing that well.

RIM’s guide to planning an African film screening explores those practical foundations. In Cairo this week, the announced selection offers audiences a specific opportunity to consider how documentary cinema keeps difficult histories available for conversation.

*Illustration: AI-generated film reels, archival objects and an imagined cinema screen; no actual film still, historical scene or Zawya interior is depicted.*

Why this matters

African film culture depends on where and how films can be encountered after their first release. Zawya’s programme connects documentary work with public discussion and gives audiences a free route into contested histories. For diaspora viewers and film organisers, it also highlights the importance of reading testimony critically and giving older work fresh context. The remaining dates are useful attendance information, while the films’ different approaches offer a practical example of purposeful programming.

Sources

Topics: Egypt · Cairo · Documentary · Independent cinema · Film programming · Cultural memory

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