SIFF 2018 Recommendations

Experience global films at the Seattle International Film Festival 2018. On a wide range of topics, filmmakers from all over the world depict different aspects of social and political life as well as how history informs the present-day.

On Her Shoulders - This empowering documentary presents 23-year-old Nadia Murad, a Yazidi genocide survivor determined to tell the world her story. Determined advocate and reluctant celebrity, she becomes the voice of her people and their best hope to spur the world to action.

• Tuesday, May 22 -  SIFF Cinema Uptown at 6:00 PM
• Wednesday, May 23 - SIFF Cinema Uptown at 3:30 PM

Soufra - In an inspirational story of passion, determination, and the unifying power of food, a group of women living in a refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut start the collaborative catering company Soufra (Arabic for "dining table"), which leads to surprising and savory success despite a myriad of obstacles.

• Tuesday, May 22 - Ark Lodge Cinemas at 6:30 PM
• Saturday, June 9 - SIFF Cinema Uptown at 6:15 PM
• Sunday, June 10 - SIFF Cinema Uptown at 2:30 PM

The Oslo Diaries - This fascinating historical account uses the personal diaries of the negotiators themselves to illustrate the process behind the 1992 Oslo Accords, where a small group of Israelis and Palestinians met for secret talks to work through their differences and create an unprecedented, and ultimately derailed, solution for peace in the Middle East.

• Sunday, May 27 - AMC Pacific Place at 4:00 PM
• Tuesday, May 29 - Lincoln Square at 6:30 PM

The Blessed - Set over the course of a single night, director Sofia Djama's warm, intimate drama explores the societal changes that have happened in the 20 years since the Algerian Civil War as experienced through two generations, a middle-aged couple celebrating their anniversary and their teenaged son hanging out in the city with his friends.

• Thursday, June 7 - SIFF Cinema Uptown 8:30 PM (Writer/Director Sofia Djama scheduled to attend)
• Friday, June 8 - SIFF Cinema Uptown 12:15 PM (Writer/Director Sofia Djama scheduled to attend)

The Poetess - A smash hit reality competition in Saudi Arabia isn't searching for pop stars, but poets, and writer Hissa Hilal made headlines around the world as the first woman to ever make it to the final round, using her televised platform to speak out against religious extremism and champion women's rights.

• Monday, May 21 - SIFF Cinema Uptown at 6:30 PM
• Thursday, May 23 - Lincoln Square at 6:30 PM

Cuban Food Stories  - A Cuban-American filmmaker returns to his native country on an exotic culinary road trip to discover the authentic flavors suffusing the island, and the rich cultural traditions behind them, from the bustle of high end dining in Havana to the distinctive cuisines of remote regions, some of which are in danger of becoming a lost art.

• Sunday, May 27 - SIFF Cinema Uptown at 6:30 PM
• Monday, May 28 - AMC Pacific Place at 4:00 PM
• Thursday, May 31 - Shoreline Community College Theater at 6:30 PM

It will be chaos - Following two refugee groups from Eritrea and Syria on their tumultuous journey through the Mediterranean towards asylum, this harrowing documentary captures the human cost and drastic decisions coming with the refugee crisis, emphasizing the need for outside action.

• Saturday, May 26 - SIFF Cinema Uptown at 8:3o PM (Director Filippo Piscopo scheduled to attend)
• Monday, May 28 - SIFF Cinema Uptown at 12:30 PM

Silas - This spotlight on the impassioned labor of Liberian activist Silas Kpanan ‘Ayoung Siakor illustrates the upheaval of African villages stripped of their native land by corporate ownership. As deforestation runs rampant across once fertile ground, communities band together to uncover their own government's injustices and salvage their livelihood.

• Monday, June 4 - SIFF Cinema Uptown at 6:00 PM
• Tuesday, June 5 - SIFF Cinema Uptown at 3:30 PM