Closing Film: Feathers + Q&A 2021

Winner of the Critics’ Week Grand Prize at Cannes Film Festival.

When a magic trick goes awry at a children’s birthday party, the authoritative father of the family turns into a chicken. An avalanche of coincidental absurdities befalls everyone; the mother, whose mundane life was dedicated to her husband and children, is now urged to come to the fore and take care of her family. While moving heaven and earth to bring her husband back and secure their survival, she goes through a total transformation.

The in-person screening will be followed by a conversation with Samar Ziadat and Carina Haouchine. 

Content Notes: This film contains scenes of implied threat, some violence, and injury detail that some may find distressing.

About the Director

Omar El Zohairy studied film directing at the High Institute of Cinema in Cairo and worked as an assistant director on feature films of Egypt’s most prominent filmmakers, including Yousri Nasrallah. Zohairy’s first short film, Breathe Out (Zafir), premiered at the 8th Dubai International Film Festival and won the Muhr Special Jury Prize for Short Films. His second short film, The Aftermath of the Inauguration of the Public Toilet at Kilometre 375, was the first Egyptian film to be selected for the Cinéfondation competition at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival; the film went on to win several awards around the world. His first feature film, Feathers, premiered in the competition of the Critics Week of Cannes in 2021.

Portrait by Moe Awad