In a world that rapidly moves on against the backdrop of wars, injustices, and forced forgetting, brave documentary filmmakers bring to light a more nuanced and deeply engaged view of a fragmented world. Documentaries discuss an array of contemporary issues and tell powerful stories—highlighting dynamic issues often overlooked and overshadowed. They transcend boundaries and embrace the complexities of humanity and the world. Over the past years, Egyptian filmmakers have been determined to carry issues and powerful stories into the world. Here is a collection of five recently released documentaries that are changing narratives and shedding light on complex issues. Lift Like a Girl (2020) In ‘Lift Like a Girl,’ filmmaker Mayye Zayed tells the story of a teen weightlifter as she emerges from a training camp in Egypt to compete at the championship level.’ The documentary premiered in the Toronto Film Festival and the Cairo International Film Festival in 2019, and is also available on Netflix to watch worldwide. From Cairo (2021) The documentary ‘From Cairo’ is centered around the struggle of living as a single woman in Cairo, where the characters Heba and Aya find themselves trying…
