Women have yet not had time to breathe in Egyptian cinema. While there have been a few films or series that tackled various issues that women face, most were often superficial and lacking the authenticity of what a female director and a female crew could portray. In essence, it should be about allowing the women to control their own narrative. This authenticity is best illustrated in the recent 2020 drama film ‘Souad’, which was recently selected to be shown at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. The film was directed by filmmaker Ayten Amin and co-written with Mahmoud Ezzat, and produced by Sameh Awad, Mark Lotfi, Mohamed Hefzi, as well as Tunisia’s Dorra Bechoucha. The film delves into the secret and double lives of young women in Egypt in the age of social media, narrating the story of a 12-year-old girl named Rabab who lives in the Delta area of Egypt and her sister Souad. “Fluid, seamless, up-close-and-personal camera work in a moving portrait of Egypt’s youth. Ayten Amin carefully builds a precious world where local tradition and universal hope are fused. Here, young girls dream, hope to please and seduce,…
Actress Sarah Shedid on Why Egyptian Feminist Film ‘Souad’ Selected for Cannes Matters
June 16, 2020
