'Habaytak' Celebrates Valentine's Day With an Evening of Art

When it comes to love, Arab people do not hold back. Our declarations are poetic, our day-to-day affection is sappy to the point of kitsch, and our heartbreak is monumental, so it’s only natural that our celebration of love is just as intense.

This year, on February 12th, Kalam Aflam, CairoScene, Daybreak and Samak Laban celebrate Valentine’s Day with a hyperromantic evening of film screenings, an intimate listening experience & a prized matchmaking game: ‘Habaytak’.

The inaugural edition of the romantic event was held in Paris by Kalam Aflam, connecting hundreds of Arabs in the diaspora through a celebration of love rooted in culture. This year, Kalam Aflam brings that vision home, exploring love through the lens of Arab art.

Habaytak opens a window onto love across the Arab region and the diaspora through a curated programme of eight award-winning short films, portraying everything from love of land and dramatic declarations to loss and longing. The selection includes Sameh Alaa’s I’m Afraid to Forget Your Face, Paul Edward’s Kisses from Cairo, Greetings from Baghdad, Tara Shehata’s Alone With You, Lyna Zerrouki’s Diva, Kawthar Younis’s Sahbety, Aya Arhyay’s Lak Ala Toul, and Miriam Lazrak’s Des Papillons Dans le Ventre.

Following the two-hour screening at Zawya, the filmmakers will host a Q&A, because love, after all, lives in shared conversation.

The evening begins at Zawya, but it doesn’t end there. A secret location - just an eight-minute walk away- will host a curated selection of hi-fi listening sessions by Daybreak. Meanwhile, Kalam Aflam will oversee a very serious game of matchmaking, where the ultimate matchmaker walks away a winner.

For tickets, head to @kalamaflam.fr, and stay tuned to @cairoscene for more details.