‘The Brink of Dreams’

Stars of award-winning Egyptian film describe defying social norms

CAIRO:

The female stars of an Egyptian street theatre troupe that is the subject of a prize-winning documentary film said they set out to challenge attitudes to women’s role in society when they began performing in their remote rural village.

The Brink of Dreams became the first Egyptian documentary film to win the Golden Eye award at the Cannes film festival in May. Directed by Nada Riyadh and produced by Ayman El Amir, it tells the story of the Panorama El Barsha, a street theatre troupe established in the Minya region south of Cairo in 2014.

El Amir said the makers of the film had come across the troupe during their travels. “The show was very inspirational to us because they always addressed subjects relevant to them, such as the importance of education, family violence, and early marriage, in a very personal way,” he said in an interview in Giza.

“They always engaged strongly with the audience. The feedback wasn’t always positive, but despite that, they kept going.” Filmed over four years, the documentary captures the girls, who are Coptic Christians, projecting their message through public performances in a village where men are traditionally the ones with power, opportunities and freedom.

“Even when my brothers saw me standing outside the home, they used to tell me to go inside, saying it’s immoral or that I shouldn’t speak or laugh,” said Magda Masoud, a troupe member. “I felt that we are not born for this. So we started to perform, discussing what we reject in our village.”

“A girl has freedom, has an opinion, she has the right to speak, to dream, to travel, and to learn,” said Haidi Sameh, another troupe member. The Brink of Dreams premiered at Cannes in May and is set to be screened soon in cinemas across Egypt, where it has also received some recognition.

“Girls in southern Egypt are strong, they have opinions, character, and a real desire to overcome big challenges,” said Riyadh. “We wanted to send a message that being a girl shouldn’t limit our voices or choices.”