Ayten Amin’s film, Souad, glimpses into the double-life of a young Egyptian woman’s struggle to find harmony in a conservative climate, while obsessing over her persona on social media and entertaining a virtual relationship. The internal and external pressures on Souad move toward a compelling shift in narrative, unraveling the complexities of truth, self-acceptance, and gender expectations. Amin commits to a genuine quality, using a cast of non-actors from smaller cities in Egypt like the characters themselves, leaning into their improvisations, while augmenting this air with handheld camera work. In the absence of music, the film bursts with intricate layered sound to build unique environments, pulling the audience deep into these moments and places.

Souad was part of the official selections at Cannes Film Festival, part of Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama program, and won the Best Actress award at the Tribeca Film Festival.

- Azarin Sohrabkhani