The Brink of Dreams
Description
Young women in a remote Egyptian village form a street theater troupe that uses performance as both a creative outlet and a bold act of defiance in this striking documentary. Through their plays, they challenge patriarchal norms, confront sexual violence and oppression, and question the long-held beliefs of their community. But dreams of becoming actors, dancers, and singers collide with reality in the face of resistance from family and friends. Majda’s brother ridicules her ambitions, while Haidi’s marriage forces her to reconsider her aspirations. Filmed over four years, directors Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir capture the women’s journey from adolescence to adulthood, revealing the complexities of growing up in a conservative society. As fact and fiction blur onstage, The Brink of Dreams becomes a moving portrait of female solidarity, artistic rebellion, and the unyielding pursuit of self-expression against all odds. —Amir George
An Egyptian filmmaker and script consultant, Ayman El Amir made the documentaries Happily Ever After (2016) and The Brink of Dreams, and also wrote and directed a short, El Hokm (2009). In 2016, he started MAHD Film Lab, a script development program for filmmakers working on Arab film projects. In 2013, he partnered with USC’s School of Cinematic Arts to establish a film production program at Saudi Arabia’s all-woman Effat University.
Nada Riyadh is an Egyptian director. She directed the documentary Happily Ever After (2016) with Ayman El Amir, and was also a director on grenzenlos – Geschichten von Freiheit & Freundschaft (2018). She also directed a short, The Trap (2019). She has also led filmmaking workshops to empower disadvantaged communities in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt.
Film Details
LanguageArabic
Year2024
PremiereCalifornia
Runtime101
CountryEgypt, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
DirectorNada Riyadh, Ayman El Amir
ProducerAyman El Amir, Nada Riyadh, Marc Irmer, Claire Chassagne
Executive ProducerAyman El Amir, Nada Riyadh, Marc Irmer, Claire Chassagne
WriterNada Riyadh, Ayman El Amir
EditorVéronique Lagoarde-Ségot, Ahmed Magdy Morsy, Ayman El Amir, Nada Riyadh
CinematographerDina El Zeneiny, Ahmed Ismail, Ayman El Amir
MusicAhmad El Sawy
Print SourceThe Party Film Sales
Closed CaptionsClosed Captions are not currently confirmed for this film
Audio DescriptionAudio Descriptions are not currently confirmed for this film
American Sign Language (ASL) InterpretationAmerican Sign Language Interpretation is not currently scheduled for this film
