Acting
Cairography is a dance/performance video. Before it took an artistic form, Cairography was a set of fragments of conversations and stories of two non-Egyptian women friends whose relationship with Cairo ranged between paranoia over feeling constantly surveilled and nonchalance as a performance of resistance. It then grew to become an assortment of testimonials from strangers in the street and friends of the artists where issues of loss of personal space, sexual harassment, respect of privacy and shattered anonymity in public space have emerged.
Yallah! Underground follows some of today’s most influential and progressive artists in Arab underground culture from 2009 to 2013 and documents their work, dreams and fears in a time of great change for Arab societies. In a region full of tension, young Arab artists in the Middle East have struggled for years to express themselves freely and to promote more liberal attitudes within their societies. During the Arab Spring, like many others of this new generation, local artists had high hopes for the future and took part in the protests. However, after years of turmoil and instability, young Arabs now have to challenge both old and new problems, being torn between feelings of disillusion and a vague hope for a better future.
Upon his return to Alexandria, Khaled becomes intrigued with a graffiti mural opposite his apartment. As he pursues this further, a larger underground arts scene slowly reveals itself, composed of musicians, filmmakers, and graffiti artists. As they struggle to get their voices heard, Khaled is compelled to help them acquire some much deserved visibility.
