A BBC Arabic Film and Documentary Festival which took place in London between 31 October and 3 November has been organised by BBC Arabic in partnership with the British Council, since 2010.
This year, Om Amira (“Amria’s Mother”), the documentary by Egyptian filmmaker Naji Ismail won Best Documentary at the festival.
The film is narrated by Om Amira herself, an Egyptian woman struggling to make ends meet while desperately trying to help her sick daughter Amira recover. The film is a moving portrayal of the life of millions of Egyptian women from the lower-middle socio-economic strata.
Om Amira was produced by Ismail's Rahala Production and Distribution in 2013 upon the initiative of ANA HUNNA (“I Am Here”), an organisation aiming to strengthen the voices of financially and socially underprivileged communities, promoting women in Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco.
Om Amira has already received the ACT award as the Best Women's Film at the 17th Ismailia International Film Festival within the Short Documentary section. The film has also been screened at the Berlinale Shorts section of the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival and was part of the Short Film Corner at Cannes Film Festival.
Within the upcoming weeks, Om Amira will compete at the 56th International Festival of Documentary and Short Film of Bilbao (ZINEBI), which will take place between 14 and 21 November in Spain.
Source: Ahram Online