Egyptian film Aisha Can't Fly Away Anymore to compete in Cannes Film Festival 2025 - Screens - Arts & Culture

Al-Ahram Weekly

10-04-2025

The Egyptian film Aisha Can't Fly Away Anymore, directed by Morad Mostafa, will compete in the Un Certain Regard section of the 78th edition of Cannes Film Festival (13-24 May).
The film follows the story of Aisha, a 26-year-old Somali woman who lives and works in Ain Shams, a working-class neighbourhood in east Cairo that has received many African refugees in recent years.
Written by Mostafa, Mohammad Abdulqader, and Sawsan Yusuf, the film stars Buliana Simona, Emad Ghoneim, Mamdouh Salah, and Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza.
During its production stage, the film and another Egyptian film scooped most prizes awarded by the Venice Film Festival's Final Cut 2024.
The jury of Venice's Final Cut described the film as 'a powerful and authentic story filled with the environment's challenges and complexities.'
'Despite being Mostafa's first feature film, it showcased confident direction and a distinct cinematic voice. The film's gritty realism, attention to detail, and impactful storytelling left a strong impression on us,' they added.
The film also collected awards from Titra Film (Paris), Rai Cinema (Italy), the Cinémathèque Afrique of the Institut Français (Paris), and the Festival International de Films de Fribourg (Switzerland).
In 2022, Mostafa was invited to attend the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival among the 10 directors selected for the La Fabrique Cinéma programme for Aisha Can't Fly Away Anymore.
Mostafa, 37, has been touring the world recently with his first three short films: Henet Ward, What We Don't Know About Mariam, and Khadiga. These films have competed in over 100 festivals across the globe and earned him dozens of awards, including Oscar and BAFTA qualifying awards.
Mostafa previously worked as an assistant director for many important names, including Hala Khalil, Sherif El-Bendary, Mohamed Diab and Ayten Amin in her 2020 Cannes-selected feature Souad.
Mostafa's latest short I promise you paradise was selected in Cannes Critics' Week 2023.
The Cannes Film Festival revealed its official selection for the 78th edition on Thursday.
Un Certain Regard is one of the festival's most prestigious segments, " including unusual styles and non-traditional stories seeking international recognition,' the festival explains.
Among the 16 films selected for this segment is the Palestinian film Once Upon a Time in Gaza, directed by Arab and Tarzan Nasser.
Last year, the Egyptian film The Brink of Dreams won the Golden Eye Documentary Prize at Cannes.
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