Egyptian film spotlights gender issues

Between Two Seas film poster.

The filmmakers of Between Two Seas began the countdown to release the film in theaters on Wednesday, October 16. The film is the product of a joint collaboration between the National Council for Women, UN Women, Axeer and development partners. Between Two Seas is written by Mariam Naoum, directed by Anas Tolba, screenplay by Amani Tunisian and starring Fatma Adel, Yara Jubran, Tharaa Jubail, Mahmoud Fares, Arfa Abdel Rasoul and Lubna Wans.

The story revolves around a short visit by Zahra to her town in a suburb of Cairo, where her daughter is exposed to a tragic accident, after which Zahra seeks to gain her daughter’s rights and insists on completing her education and benefiting her community. The film highlights the various societal issues facing women, especially in rural areas.

The film’s official song entitled Stronger than Before performed by Egyptian artists Hany Adel and Fatma Adel was launched yesterday on social media platforms and it is dedicated by Hany Adel as part of his support to the film.

It is worth mentioning that Between Two Seas has won six awards so far during its tour in regional and international festivals, winning two awards at the Aswan International Women’s Film Festival; the Nout Award for Best Supporting Women’s Issues; and the Best Director Award from the Film Career Syndicate.

The film also won two awards for best director Anas Tolba, the best screenplay award from the Taza International Diversity Film Festival in Morocco, in addition to the Certificate of Achievement and the best film award from the Brooklyn International Film Festival. It has also been screened at a number of festivals in Europe.