Some films stay with you long after the credits roll. Looking back at memorable titles from the Gouna Film Festival, Sandra Nashaat shares four of her favourites: A Poet, Sirāt, It Was Just an Accident, and La Grazia. From stories of artistic ambition and personal loss to questions of justice and morality, each film offers a different perspective on the complexities of being human.
Here’s a closer look at her picks.
A Poet - Directed by Simón Mesa Soto
A portrait of ambition, failure, and the complicated relationship between life and art, A Poet follows Oscar Restrepo, a struggling writer whose passion for poetry has brought him little success. When he begins mentoring a gifted teenager, he finds himself reconsidering what it means to be an artist, and what it takes to leave a mark. Balancing dark humour with moments of genuine tenderness, the film offers an unconventional look at the pursuit of creative purpose. It won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2025.
Sirāt - Directed by Óliver Laxe
Set against the vast, unforgiving landscapes of southern Morocco, Sirāt follows a father and his son searching for a missing daughter at a series of desert raves. What begins as a search becomes an increasingly unpredictable journey into unfamiliar territory, where electronic music, isolation, and the harshness of the landscape shape the experience. Immersive and visually striking, the film moves between the physical and the existential, exploring loss, endurance, and the limits of human experience. It received the Jury Prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
It Was Just an Accident - Directed by Jafar Panahi
A chance encounter sets the stage for a tense moral dilemma in Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident. When an Iranian mechanic believes he has recognised the man who tortured him in prison, he sets out to confirm his identity, drawing other former prisoners into a series of increasingly difficult decisions. Blending dark comedy with the tension of a thriller, the film examines memory, justice, and the uncertain line between revenge and forgiveness. Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2025, it is a compelling exploration of what happens when the past refuses to stay buried.
La Grazia - Directed by Paolo Sorrentino
In La Grazia, Italian director Paolo Sorrentino turns his attention to the private doubts behind public power. The film follows Mariano De Santis, the fictional President of Italy, as he approaches the end of his term and faces two sensitive requests for presidential pardons. As he weighs the consequences of his decisions, questions of morality, responsibility, and personal conviction begin to surface. Led by Toni Servillo, the film is a contemplative drama about the difficulty of making choices when the answers are far from clear.
Four very different films, each offering its own perspective on human nature, difficult choices, and the stories we carry with us. Sandra Nashaat’s selection is a reminder that some of the most memorable festival experiences begin with a film you might not have chosen yourself.