The Brink of Dreams

In Upper Egypt, being a woman of a different religion than the majority is like a triple suffering and challenge in itself - Upper Egypt is neglected, Egyptian women struggle to reach even close to half equality, and Christians in Egypt struggle to at least have a place to worship. In the midst of all this, a film from the heart of Upper Egypt comes to win the first award for an Egyptian film at the Cannes Film Festival.

In Upper Egypt, being a woman of a different religion than the majority is like a triple suffering and challenge in itself - Upper Egypt is neglected, Egyptian women struggle to reach even close to half equality, and Christians in Egypt struggle to at least have a place to worship. In the midst of all this, a film from the heart of Upper Egypt comes to win the first award for an Egyptian film at the Cannes Film Festival.

An excellent short-movie and documentary by Nada Riyadh & Ayman El Amir;

In a remote village in Southern Egypt or Upper Egypt, a group of girls rebel against their own families' strict traditions by forming an all-female street theater troupe but they get ridiculed for it.

The girls simply dreamt of becoming actresses, dancers and singers like so-many Egyptians in Lower Egypt, challenging their own religious and conservative families with their unexpected performances.

The short-movie was shot within a long duration of whole four years to capture different periods in thise girls lives, The Brink of Dreams follows them from childhood to womanhood, and while facing the most crucial choices of their lives.

The Brink of Dreams" (2024) is a drama that tells the story of a group of Coptic girls in a remote village in southern Egypt. These girls challenge the traditional roles imposed on them by forming an all-female street theatre troupe. Through their provocative performances, they dream of becoming actresses, dancers, and singers, thereby confronting their families and the villagers with hard-hitting questions about underage marriage, domestic violence, and patriarchy in their conservative society.

The film follows their journey as they navigate the expectations of their community and the harsh realities of arranged marriages and traditional female roles. Despite the societal pressures and the prejudice they face, the girls' pursuit of their dreams is a testament to their courage and determination to forge their own paths.

Directed by Ayman El Amir and Nada Riyadh, "The Brink of Dreams" is a compelling coming-of-age story that explores the tension between dreams and reality, and the leap of faith required to overcome the limits of one's surroundings². The movie is expected to release in May 2024.

It is an amazing movie,I really felt seen , relatable, emotionally moving and most of the time I felt this is me in a way or another it so touching!

I can feel their struggle, fears ,and dreams , how it is so hard for them to even dream about it , how they are so brave to follow their dream even so it is too hard for them in their conservative and restricted community ... I really LOVE it !

The singer voice brought me to tears only by listening to her.

The cast is so true, so authentic I feel I can easily meet them anywhere, I have watched it once but I will go to the cinema again and watch it.

I really would like to watch something else by them.