The director-producer team of “The Brink of Dreams,” Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, discussed the creation of their documentary in an intimate behind-the-scenes chat at the Palais des Festivals, three days after the film’s international premiere during Critics’ Week.
During the discussion, which was facilitated by the Marché du Film’s Cannes Docs sidebar, the Cairo-based Felucca Films team provided advice and intimate information about their upcoming second film. “Happily Ever After,” their debut picture, had its IDFA premiere in 2016.
“The Brink of Dreams” chronicles the gripping coming-of-age tale of an all-female theatrical group in a secluded village in southern Egypt. The group takes to the streets to perform plays that criticise teenage marriage, domestic abuse, and patriarchy in a community that is firmly entrenched in conservatism.
The film, which was shot over the course of four years, takes viewers on an engrossing journey from childhood to womanhood. It includes close-up conversations between the protagonists and their fiancés as well as intimate scenes within the families of the girls, all of which never feel intrusive but rather invite the audience to share in these special moments.
When asked how they were able to become so close to their subjects, the couple replied that it took years for them to build trust before they were let into their personal lives.
El Amir emphasised that finding a small staff that could support them over the lengthy journey was crucial. The production of this movie would not have been feasible otherwise. They had a bond with the crew in addition to us, their families, and themselves. To forget about the camera, the aim was to blend in with this community rather than stand out as strangers. And that takes time to happen.
After meeting the girls through a feminist organisation that promotes artistic contributions by women from underprivileged communities, Riyadh began working on the project independently in 2017.
However, she claimed that it was an obvious choice to co-direct the movie with El Amir, her lifelong and professional companion. “Even though I could sense he wasn’t sure he wanted to commit, I knew right away that I wanted to work with him. However, I knew he would want to meet the girls if I could get him to do so.
El Amir was in fact enamoured with them after participating in a storytelling class with them. “I felt a connection with the girls and we started planning things together at that point,” he remarked.
With two years of research and four years of filming, the movie was a labour of love. But the two realised they would require the involvement of a European co-producer.
“We wanted a co-producer who would commit to our vision of the film, given the general situation – there was no national funding, and we had regional funding but not enough to shoot the whole film,” Riyadh stated.
They felt they had discovered a nice fit when they met Claire Chassagne and Mark Irmer of Dolce Vita Films in 2021. El Amir clarified, “They knew our story; Mark had produced movies in our area before. We needed co-producers not just to finance the movie but also for the creative process: we needed our movie to be seen by people around the world.”
In addition, Chassagne attended the Cannes talk and described her involvement in the editing process. “Not because you want to censor – it’s Nada and Ayman’s baby, of course, it’s their vision,” she said, eliciting an immediate response from Riyadh, who emphasised the significance of letting go and letting the producers do their job.
“It’s critical to let them market [your movie]. We may have thought, “Ah!” if we had heard any of their pitches. “That’s not what we’re trying to do, but they know their market, you have to have trust, and it can work in your film’s favour to let people handle the selling,” she smiled.
On May 17, “The Brink of Dreams” debuted during Critics’ Week to a standing ovation. During their time in Cannes, six of the main characters of the movie performed live street theatre for the audience on the Croisette.
Dolce Vita Films and Riyadh and El Amir’s Felucca Films are co-producing the movie. International sales are handled by Party Film Sales. The French distribution is handled by Dulac Distribution, and a theatrical release is scheduled for the beginning of 2025.
Through May 21, Cannes Docs is a component of the Cannes Film Market.
