• Home

Arab Women Filmmakers Come to the Fore

Egyptian Engi Wassef and Lebanese Sabine El Gemayel are aspiring directors who are trying to touch on some grim realities for women living in the Arab world.

With her film Marina of the Zabbaleen, Egyptian filmmaker Engi Wassef shed light on the modest life of a marginalised category of society.

The true story of the film is about Marina, a 11-year-old girl who lives with her family amidst the squalor of Zabbaleen village (Zabbaleen is the Arabic synonym for garbage collectors).

“I faced a lot of hurdles before shooting the film. However, even in the absence of a permit to shoot, we had been able to come up with this true-story film. I wanted to expose the life of the poor people who live near Al Miktim Mountain in the countryside of Egypt. The story of the film revolves around how their livelihood is threatened by the government itself as it tries to deal with foreign companies dealing in garbage recycling and sorting”.

“I meant to highlight that with a hope it would still survive in the dump of waste. Marina managed to see a different perspective of life because of her rich and positive imagination,” Wassef explained.

Social problems faced by women in the Arab countries are also tackled in Niloofar, a film by Lebanese filmmaker Sabine El Gemayel. The film is set on the Iran/Iraq border.

Niloofar is a poignant story of a young girl who wants to pursue her dreams of getting educated.

“I meant to show that in some places around the world, girls are still facing obstacles in pursuing education or chasing their career dreams. Because of the economic and social backgrounds, young women in some Arab countries are still unable to earn an academic degree or pursue higher education. Arranged marriages are also part of the social problems they face most often,” the director said.

In the film, Niloofar assists her midwife mother during a delivery. Afterwards, she meets a woman who helps her study secretly. Then the little girl discovers the magic of learning. But tradition won’t let her chase her dream as her father arranges her marriage to an older but handsome man. Niloofar won’t surrender and takes her destiny in her own hands.

Niloofar is Sabine’s debut directorial feature. Both Wassef and El Gemayel are taking part in the DIFF for the first time.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE