PUBLIC SCREENING AND DISCUSSION WITH

MAHA MAAMOUN, EGYPTIAN ARTIST (CAIRO) HAYTHAM AL-WARDANI (CAIRO/BERLIN) 

Animals occupy a significant place in Arabic literature. From al-Jahiz’s Kitāb al-Hayawān (Book of Animals) and Ibn al-Muqaffa’s Kalila wa Dimna to the stories of Alf Layla wa Layla, wise, smart, talking animals appear everywhere. Anthropomorphised, they are sometimes presented as humans and, conversely, sometimes humans are presented as animals. Occasionally, animals are depicted as superior to human beings. The relation between animals and humans continues to occupy Arabic literary and aesthetic works, reflecting novel philosophical and political concerns.
Egyptian author Haytham al-Wardani (Cairo/Berlin) and Egyptian artist Maha Maamoun (Cairo) will speak to us about the meaning and agency of animals in their works. We will discuss al- Wardani’s short story Sultan Qanun al-Wujud (Lord of the Order of Existence) and watch Maha Maamoun’s short film Dear Animal (2016, 25 min).