Told through 35mm photography, a sprawling narration, and contradictory subtitles, “Tales of the Marvelous and News of the Strange” explores the lives of a young couple – Ahmed, an actor, and Lily, a photographer – as they grapple with their cultural and spiritual identities through superstition and art.

Set against the dreary Pittsburgh winter, “Tales of the Marvelous and News of the Strange” is an adventure into the realms of both the physical and the spiritual: the urban landscapes of western Pennsylvania versus dreams of Egypt; the human psyche; the past; the present; the superstitious; and the anatomy of film itself. 

Writers/Directors: Lily Ekimian Ragheb & Ahmed T. Ragheb
Starring: Grace Cooper, Ahmed T. Ragheb
Producers: Lily Ekimian Ragheb & Ahmed T. Ragheb
Photography: Osama Makawy, Lily Ekimian Ragheb & Ahmed T. Ragheb
Music: Babak Daneshvar
Date: 2021
Runtime: 9 minutes

Screenings & Festivals

Twin Cities Arab Film Festival: September 27 to October 1, 2023

The Virtual Otherwise Festival: June 3, 2022

Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival: November 18 to 21, 2021

Southampton Film Week: November 5 to 14, 2021