The physicalities of documentaries by African women: The case of Ateyyat El Abnoudy's Permissible Dreams and Responsible Women

Abstract

Egyptian cinema has dominated the North African and Middle Eastern region since the fifties. Only occasionally do independent films get national release, for example when they are exceptionally successful abroad (such as Ein Shams (2009) by Ibrahim el Batout). When considering the rest of the Arab region, Egyptian melodrama has dominated commercial releases. This transnationalism of commercial Egyptian films has blinded audiences to the experimental and independent productions. Egypt’s hegemony over other national cinemas in the region is based on the studio films exported throughout the African continent. However, national cinema is much more than what is popular and commercial. It is crucial to study the undercurrent in filmmaking, as it is the creative nature of directors and their innovations that ultimately define the value of a national cinema