Maqamāt is a monthly short film programme, curated by A Kiss in the Desert in collaboration with Zawya, the leading art house cinema in Cairo. Inspired by the Maqamāt, a concise  literary format, with recurring characters adapting different roles, in a manner like that of a short film. 

The short films curated each month share a theme, and are screened with English/Arabic subtitles; aiming  to expand the short films viewership in Egypt. The programme was screened on November 11th, 2023, at Zaywa Arthouse Cinema.

November 2023: On the Road

The Programme

1. Aunt, a Tricycle, Siru Wen, China, 2021, 23’



On the back of a tricycle, Siru's aunt carries her from her elementary school to her grandma's old apartment, during which memories are relieved, spaces are reframed, sound is fractured, bodies are worked, and family matters are discussed.


2. Motorcyclist’s Happiness Won’t Fit into His Suit, Gabriel Herrera, Mexico, 2021, 10’



There he sits proudly on his motorbike, encompassed in majestic red and the dazzling admiration of the others.


3. Lake Street: Independence Day, Dan Schneikraut, U.S., 2021, 20’



A meditative ride across Minneapolis one month after the George Floyd Uprising.


4. Deliver Me, Jannous Aukema, South Africa, 2021, 28’


Paul Mwasi is a Malawian separated from his family and lives alone in South Africa. He works as an uber delivery man aiming to establish a better life for his wife and daughter. In this film, Paul provides his testimony on alienation, languages, and the pandemic, merged into a poetic story that expresses a surreal experience. Through music, montage, and personal shots, the movie beautifully captures an image of a separated family and a lonely man who rides the dangerous streets of Cape Town during the lockdown, highlighting the story of many others who migrate to South Africa in search of economic prosperity.