Amira: The Palestinian Story Told by an Egyptian Director Coming to Gouna Film Festival

Egyptian director Mohamed Diab’s film ‘Amira’ was selected to compete at the Feature Narrative Competition in the fifth edition of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (GFF), marking its first Arab world premiere.

Inspired by the real-life phenomenon of artificial insemination in Palestine, Amira tells the story of a 17-year-old Palestinian girl who believes she was conceived with the smuggled sperm of her imprisoned father. When another attempt to conceive a child with her father’s smuggled sperm reveals he is infertile, her life turns upside down and her sense of identity is lost.

This year, GFF will run from 14 to 22 October. Although it was only founded in 2017, GFF has become one of the most prominent film festivals across the Arab world.

Set in Palestine, Amira is co-produced by Egyptian producer and screenwriter Mohamed Hefzy’s Film Clinic, in addition to multiple Egyptian production houses, and written by Egyptian trio Mohamed, Khaled, and Shereen Diab. The film’s cast consists of actors from across the Middle East and North Africa, including Tara Abboud, Saba Mubarak, Ali Suliman, Kais Nashif, Saleh Bakri, and Waleed Zuaiter.

Amira is set to have its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, taking place from 1 to 11 September. The Venice International Film Festival is the world’s oldest film festival.

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