Filming Revolution

These screenings of one short and one feature-length film are part of the Filming Revolution program at the Sursock Museum.  

The Story of ’N’ 
Dir. Laila Samy El Balouty, 2013 
In Arabic with English subtitles 
Color, 16’ 

A director's journey to find an acceptable format for telling N's story, within the ever increasing restrictions faced in the process of filming. This short film reflects on the incredible strength Egyptian women develop to cope with a very restrictive male dominated society. As she discovers how unaware women are of their power, she desires to inspire self-appreciation and respect, in hopes that such awareness is a step towards getting rid of this oppression. 

Laila Samy El Balouty is an actress, filmmaker and activist, though she hesitates to use that last term, as it has been abused in ways that have rendered it suspect since the revolution. She was a longterm member of El Warsha theatre troupe. She first studied English literature at Faculty of Arts then studied Cinematography. Laila played as an actress in various films, including The Yacoubian Building (2006), The Aquarium (2008), Those Days (2010), and In The Last Days of the City (2016). She also was the D.O.P and camerawoman for a number of short fiction and documentaries, as well as a 35mm graduation project entitled Solo where she was both its director and D.O.P. 

Moug (Waves)
Dir. Ahmed Nour, 2012 

In Arabic with English subtitles 

Color and B&W, stereo, 71’  

It was in the extraordinary city of Suez that the Egyptian revolution was born. Ahmed Nour, the 30-year-old Suez-born film-maker, invites audiences to share his perception of five special periods of his life, each portrayed as a wave. Using the director’s voice-over, animation techniques, and a poetic style of sound and cinematography, Waves attempts to capture the essence of the generation of the Egyptian revolution.

Moug (Waves) was made possible with the support of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC).

Ahmed Nour is an Egyptian screenwriter and filmmaker. He worked as an assistant director in several feature films and soap operas in the Egyptian mainstream cinema market. He wrote and directed several short films that participated in international film festivals, and several documentary films for television. Nour wrote, produced and directed his first feature length film Moug (Waves) (2012), which participated in forty-five international film festivals, won several awards, and has obtained international positive reputation in the cinematic circles. Nour currently works as a freelance film director and screenwriter.