From Cairo
with director Hala GalalEgyptian filmmaker Hala Galal (in person!) presents this portrait of resilience as two single women in Cairo pursue their passion for art and find their voices.
22/23 Hop Film Event
In the streets of Cairo, documentary filmmaker Hala Galal moves purposefully and quickly. She presents a brave face, but she is in constant fear of being harassed (or worse) just for being a working single woman. Galal follows two women, Heba and Aya, who challenge the norms and limitations of women in Egypt with a completely different fearlessness.
Heba tries to find space in her life as a single mother and photojournalist to create art that, among other things, focuses on the existence of the female body. Although money is tight, her small home is always filled with laughter and the smell of home-cooked food. Meanwhile, Aya tries to find a foothold in her relationship with family, religion and passion for film. The contact sport of roller derby takes up more and more of her time, and the community and closeness to the other women on the team forces Aya to reconsider her position as a woman.
All three women have a desire to create space for more voices and nuanced perspectives in Egypt. They live alone and work in art specifically, through which they find their way, achieve their dreams and find some happiness—regardless of the consequences. D: Hala Galal, Egypt, subtitlesd, 2021, 1h4m
Co-sponsored by the Middle Eastern Studies Program and the Dickey Center
Hala Galal is an Egyptian filmmaker. She has a BA in Media Studies from Cairo University and a BA in Film Studies from the Higher Institute of Cinema. She has worked as a film director, scriptwriter and producer. She co-founded Semat Production and Distribution and has been a consultant for Caravan of the Euro-Arab Cinema, a project funded by the European Union, EuroMed Audiovisual II program. Her filmography includes Closed Circle (2008), Egyptian Woman in the Parliament (2008), and Mediterranean Women: Making Life Choices (2008).
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