The documentary chronicles the journey of a group of young Coptic women as they establish their own theater ensemble.
Egyptian film The Brink of Dreams, produced by Felucca Films and directed by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, has been honoured with the L’Oeil d’or (Golden Eye Award) for Best Documentary at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
The Brink of Dreams (Les Filles du Nil), set in the directors’ native Egypt, premiered in the Critics’ Week sidebar at Cannes. The film made its debut in the official Critics’ Week competition, with a premiere attended by the cast and crew, including directors Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, and the girls of the Panorama El Barsha Troupe.
For the second consecutive year, the L’Oeil d’Or prize—the top award for a documentary at the Cannes Film Festival—is being shared by two films. The award also went to Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Raoul Peck.
Directed by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, The Brink of Dreams serves as their second feature film. The documentary delves into the journey of a group of young Coptic women who challenge the constraints of their traditional upbringing by forming an all-female theatre troupe. Through their artistic endeavours, they navigate the complexities of transitioning into womanhood.
The jury wrote: “The second takes us to a Coptic village in southern Egypt, in the footsteps of a small group of girls who rebel by forming a street theatre troupe. Dreaming of becoming actresses, dancers, or singers, they try to find their place, defying their families and the patriarchal traditions of their country. A film both simple and luminous, that could almost look like ‘a walk in the park,’ but instead shows us the complexity of their struggle to conquer freedom, and the turbulences generated around them.”
The L’Oeil d’or prize comes with a €5,000 award. Twenty-two films vied for the “golden eye” trophy this year. The L’Oeil d’or is a relatively new award in the Cannes pantheon, added only in 2015.
