Film Countries Archives: Egypt

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Dramatic Shorts: Talk to Me

  Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Iceland, Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, United States     91 minutes

Synopsis

From unforgettable chance encounters to complex lifelong relationships, these powerful films from visionary auteurs explore the depth of human connections, the transcendent nature of shared language, and the ways life’s twists and turns can strengthen — or challenge — those bonds. Featuring works by Adebukola Bodunrin, Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan, Tara Shehata, Rúnar Rúnarsson, and Alkis Papastathopoulos.

In We Are Not Alone (Canada, United States), a young Nigerian immigrant enlists the help of a stranger to communicate with an extraterrestrial vessel approaching Earth that promises to take her away from a lonely world. A man who lives in the forest may be the cause of a series of disasters plaguing a small village in Vox Humana (Philippines, United States, Singapore). Alone with You (Lewahdena) (Egypt) explores the weight of cultural expectations on an Egyptian couple in their thirties. A lonely man struggles to hide his alcohol addiction during an important reunion with an estranged loved one in O (Iceland, Sweden). And in Honeymoon (Greece, France, Cyprus), a road trip is troubled by transphobic violence against two best friends, and the fluctuating emotions between them.

 Arabic, English, Greek, Icelandic, Tagalog 

Content Advisory

Screenings & Events

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With Support From

Logo: Canada 313x100Logo: German Film Office 141x125Logo: German Films - 315x100Logo: Goethe Institut 62x100

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A woman and a man cuddle in bed under the covers in a dimly lit bedroom, touching their hands together.

Alone with You [short film] Lewahdena

  Tara Shehata

  Egypt     14 minutes

Synopsis

Tensions flare between 30 year-old Nadine and her boyfriend Karim as they go to elaborate means to dispose of their used condom before her parents return home. The different cultural expectations imposed on the two become apparent, bringing unspoken conflicts to the surface.

This film screens as part of the Dramatic Shorts: Talk To Me program.

 English, Arabic with subtitles

Film Credits

  •   Tara Shehata
  •   Tara Shehata
  •   Nancy Fares
  •   Jad Beyrouthy
  •   Amir El-Masry, Tamima Hafez
  •   Hany Must
  •   Tara Shehata

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A group of girls dressed in pink sit on a riverbank looking out.

The Brink of Dreams Rafaat einy ll sama

  Nada Riyadh & Ayman El Amir

  Egypt, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia     101 minutes

Synopsis

In a small village in southern Egypt, a group of girls form a street theater troupe as both a creative outlet and a fearless act of defiance. Challenging the patriarchal norms of their conservative Coptic Christian community, the girls dream of becoming actresses, dancers, and singers. They take to the dusty roads of their town to enact short plays that offer provocative challenges to passersby, asking questions like why a girl cannot marry the boy she loves.

Shot over four years with extraordinary access to its subjects, Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir’s film follows these brave girls from adolescence to adulthood, charting the complex and myriad ways in which each must navigate growing up as they form romantic partnerships and  face the social demands of womanhood. As feminist empowerment and aspirational dreams collide with the sobering realities of life, The Brink of Dreams offers a poignant and absorbing coming-of-age story of female solidarity and youthful rebellion. Winner of the top documentary prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

 Arabic with subtitles

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Ayman El Amir, Nada Riyadh, Marc Irmer, Claire Chassagne
  •   Nada Riyadh, Ayman El Amir
  •   Véronique Lagoarde-Ségot, Ahmed Magdy Morsy, Ayman El Amir, Nada Riyadh
  •   Dina El Zeneiny, Ahmed Ismail, Ayman El Amir
  •   Majda Masoud, Haidi Sameh, Monika Youssef, Marina Samir, Myriam Nassar, Lydia Haroun, Youstina Samir
  •   Ahmad El Sawy
  •   Felucca Films, Dolce Vita Films, Magma Films
  •   https://www.thepartysales.com/movie/the-brink-of-dreams/

Sponsors

Documentary Program Partner

Logo: WTTW (2019)

Documentary Program Patron

Cynthia Stone Raskin

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Cynthia Stone Raskin