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A group of girls dressed in pink sit on a riverbank looking out.

The Brink of Dreams Rafaat einy ll sama

  Nada Riyadh & Ayman El Amir

  Egypt, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia     101 minutes

Synopsis

In a small village in southern Egypt, a group of girls form a street theater troupe as both a creative outlet and a fearless act of defiance. Challenging the patriarchal norms of their conservative Coptic Christian community, the girls dream of becoming actresses, dancers, and singers. They take to the dusty roads of their town to enact short plays that offer provocative challenges to passersby, asking questions like why a girl cannot marry the boy she loves.

Shot over four years with extraordinary access to its subjects, Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir’s film follows these brave girls from adolescence to adulthood, charting the complex and myriad ways in which each must navigate growing up as they form romantic partnerships and  face the social demands of womanhood. As feminist empowerment and aspirational dreams collide with the sobering realities of life, The Brink of Dreams offers a poignant and absorbing coming-of-age story of female solidarity and youthful rebellion. Winner of the top documentary prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

 Arabic with subtitles

Screenings & Events

Screening

Sat, Oct 19 @ 5:45pm CDT

at Gene Siskel Film Center, screen 1

Scheduled to Attend:
Co-directors Ayman El Amir & Nada Riyadh
Accessibility options for this screening:
  • Assistive Listening Devices available
Learn more about accessibility options...

Screening

Sun, Oct 20 @ 12:30pm CDT

at AMC NEWCITY 14, screen 04

Scheduled to Attend:
Co-directors Ayman El Amir & Nada Riyadh

Media

Film Credits

  •   Ayman El Amir, Nada Riyadh, Marc Irmer, Claire Chassagne
  •   Nada Riyadh, Ayman El Amir
  •   Véronique Lagoarde-Ségot, Ahmed Magdy Morsy, Ayman El Amir, Nada Riyadh
  •   Dina El Zeneiny, Ahmed Ismail, Ayman El Amir
  •   Majda Masoud, Haidi Sameh, Monika Youssef, Marina Samir, Myriam Nassar, Lydia Haroun, Youstina Samir
  •   Ahmad El Sawy
  •   Felucca Films, Dolce Vita Films, Magma Films
  •   https://www.thepartysales.com/movie/the-brink-of-dreams/

Sponsors

Documentary Program Partner

Logo: WTTW (2019)

Documentary Program Patron

Cynthia Stone Raskin