Curatorial Statement
"Without expressly having this intention, all of my selection ended up being entirely composed of pieces by directed/made by women. Perhaps these films resonated with me as a woman living in Cairo. What touched me about these films was their way of articulating a subjective experience, as well as the direct and honest tone that I found in them.
Several of these films, such as Girl, and A Good-looking Woman is Required for Employment, directly focus on the women’s experience in Cairo. They express the daily assault of harassment and judgment that women face. I chose to include my own piece El Arosa, as I felt it provided a more abstract counterpoint to some of the themes that were brought up in the other films.
A connecting factor that struck me in most of these films are the subjectivity and sincerity that they express… both Catharsis and On Questions employ a voice-over of a train of thought, inviting us into these women’s minds and wanderings. Even in the more abstract piece, Gold Light Across, I was struck by the same pensiveness and thoughtful tone.
I hope that you enjoy being invited into these internal monologues, and will share a moment of questioning and thoughtfulness alongside them. Through these women’s eyes, I aim to share not only an idea of not only the city of Cairo, but of the lives and struggles that inhabit it. "
- Nini Ayach
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