Friday Foreign Film, July 10

The “Friday Foreign Film” series at Coos Bay Public Library continues at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, July 10th. The controversial 2010 Egyptian feature film “Cairo 678” is this month’s feature. Three Cairene women from very different backgrounds pull together in uneasy solidarity to combat the sexual harassment that has impacted each of their lives—and has become a general plague in their city. The action begins on an overcrowded bus line, dreaded by Fayza as a daily site of humiliation and anguish. Responding to a self-defense talk by Seba, whose own assault has driven her marriage apart, Fayza fights back—and soon has a police detective searching for her amid public panic. Meanwhile, Nelly, an aspiring comic, faces pressure from family to drop a lawsuit against her attacker. Based on real-life incidents that led to Egypt’s first anti-harassment legislation, Mohamed Diab’s deftly braided narrative tells a gripping, timely tale of social injustice through a patchwork of interconnected lives and deeds. Winner of the Silver Hugo for Best Film at the Chicago International Film Festival and the Best New Director Award at the Egyptian Oscars, plus several other top festival awards. The “Friday Foreign Film” series, sponsored by the Friends of Coos Bay Public Library, is normally held on the second Friday of the month and is free to the public. Many of these films are not rated and parental discretion is advised. For more information call 269-1101.